Hard to Admit
by ApolloPants95
Summary: Big changes are settling down in a new school year for Rachel and Puck. Thrust together to respect each other's differences at the most awkward of times, will they learn more about each other and realise what is hard to admit?
1. Chapter 1

**First… non-one-shot? Oh I don't know! One with chapters...mmmyah!**

**I don't own Glee!**

**R&R please!**

Puck looked in the misted bathroom mirror and stared hard at his reflection. He couldn't see what was wrong with it. He had handsome chiselled features and all the girls threw themselves at him. But he didn't want those stupid girls any more. He didn't even want the womanly cougars. He wanted someone to call his own. But he didn't know who.

Rachel brushed her long brunette locks into a neat ponytail. Usually she'd wear it down and flowing but today she was not in the mood to look like a silly little girl. She'd been in a foul mood since the moment she'd woken up. Her dads were out of town and she had the house to herself but she was still just plain angry.

She'd been to the mall the previous night to buy some clothes. She kept looking and looking for something nice but everything looked all too skimpy or just horrible on her tiny frame. And then she'd seen Quinn, Santana and Brittany. And that's when she realized that the reason why people didn't like was because she just wasn't cool. Rachel had always tried to pride herself on being self-sufficient but as she looked on at the popular Cheerios (minus Quinn, of course.) she couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy roll over her. They always looked so nice. They all had very different styles but they always looked attractive and fashionable. Rachel tried to be fashionable but she just felt it wasn't her. Like she was wearing someone else's clothes, literally.

She rummaged around in her closet and saw the only pair of jeans she owned hanging, unworn, right at the back. She pulled them out and laid them on her bed. They were lovely jeans, they fitted her perfectly she knew that. She pulled out a pastel coloured t-shirt that had a funny musical motif on the front of it and put it above the jeans. She then ran to the basement and searched through the box marked 'Unworn clothes' and tugged at a turquoise cardigan. She threw the outfit on and stared hard at herself in the mirror. This year she was going to make an effort to be cool. And not kooky.

Puck was having a similar dilemma at his house. He'd spent most of the summer lounging around in swimming trunks because of his pool cleaning business. And had come to the sudden realisation that on the first day of the semester, he had outgrown most of his clothes. The only things that fitted him were a pair of black jeans that he hated and lime green polo shirt. He looked at himself in the mirror again and thought to himself 'This will have to do. It's a new me.'

"You look different, Noah." His mom said as he quickly grabbed a cereal bar for breakfast.

"How do I?" He asked inquisitively.

"I don't know, you look more grown up. More responsible." She answered. What a difference a new outfit could make. More responsible? Not even a mother could call Puck responsible.

The first day of the new school year ran on for what seemed like ever. Puck couldn't concentrate in any of his lessons and found himself drifting back into his thoughts about a 'new him'. His last lesson was Biology, his worst subject of all. He thought about skipping it and just hanging out in his truck for an hour or so. But he thought against it and decided that he owed his teacher at least a glimpse of his new self.

"Seating plan, seating plan!" The biology teacher screeched. Puck always got put right at the front next to some doofus who couldn't write. Golden boy Finn always got to sit wherever he wanted of course.

"Noah Puckerman! I want you to sit here by the window." Mrs Cain announced. Puck slammed his bag down on the desk and looked around the classroom. It wouldn't be too bad sitting on his own near a window. He could always just look out onto the playing fields wistfully at all the cheerleaders. But he wasn't sitting on his own. He had to sit next to some hot brunette, not that he was complaining. Inwardly he was hoping that this girl's face match her highly attractive body. He couldn't see her face as her chunky bangs were slid secretively over her features as she wrote her name on the front of her book. Puck stretched just enough so he could see what she was writing.

"RACHEL BERRY?" He yelled loudly. The hot brunette looked at him quizzically. Puck could hardly believe his eyes, it _was_ Rachel Berry. Puck frowned and looked under the desk.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rachel snapped, pushing Puck's curious head away from the underside of the desk.

"You're not wearing a skirt! You're not even wearing loafers! What's going on? Have I woken up in some sort of parallel universe in which everything is all… weird?" He said quickly.

"No Noah, you have not woken up in some sort of parallel universe, but you clearly have woken up in one of your rude and ignorant moods. I am a free woman, Noah Puckerman, and if I choose for one day in my life to wear a pair of jeans, I do not see what it is of any of your bus-"

"No, no, I like it." Noah said cutting in massively. Rachel gave him a weird look and returned to doing her work.

"And anyways, why are you wearing black skinnies and a polo shirt? Usually you waltz around in acid wash jeans and wife beaters." Rachel said. She couldn't help but think that this new Puck was totally hot. Way hotter than the one she once made out with for the mash-up assignment. Puck laughed.

"Of all the people I expected to say wife-beater, you were not one of them. And in answer to your question, I couldn't find any clothes that fitted." He said honestly. He pulled out a pen from his school bag and began writing down notes from the board.

"Surely you should have found some clothes that did fit before the first day of a new academic year? It doesn't bode well for good organisation or attendance. Not forgetting clear stupidity and lack of good time management." Rachel said in her typical 'I'm-Rachel-Berry-and-I-am-soooo-much-better-than-you' way.

"Well so-ree Miss Prissy Pants if I was up to other things over the summer." Puck snapped back. As much as Rachel was now hot, she was still Rachel Berry and still totally annoying.

"What were you doing? Learning how to read?" Rachel said bitchily.

"Geez, Rach, what crawled up your ass and died?" Puck said shocked at Rachel's unusual bitchy behaviour. He knew she was a bitch but she didn't often act like one so outwardly.

"Nothing has crawled up my ass and died Noah Puckerman!" Rachel screamed. The whole room fell silent and stared over at the bickering couple.

"It's great to hear that Rachel, really it is. But don't you feel it's just a tad bit inappropriate to announce in my lesson?" The teacher asked. Rachel fell dumbfounded.

"I'll see you after this lesson please." He said shaking his head and frowning. Puck stifled a laugh badly, disguising it as a cough.

"It's not funny! I've had a clean detention record since the womb and thanks to you that is now ruined! I hate you!" Rachel said as she jabbed Puck hard in the ribs.

"I do apologise, Berry." Puck said. Just as Rachel was about to forgive him, he interrupted yet again.

"I think that's the first time I've seen you speechless since like, ever." He said with a maniac laugh.

"Argh! I hate you!" Rachel growled.

"Sure you do, sugarplum, and I'm mother Theresa." Puck chuckled. Rachel couldn't help but laugh at this too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Now because I love all my readers, here is the next chapter! I know I'm amazing, you only had to wait like 2/3 days? :P **

**I don't own Glee or the songs used!**

**As a reward for my promptness, how about a Review? **

**LOVE!**

"Hey guys, great to see you all! Did you all have a good summer?" Mr Schue asked as he walked into the choir room. Rachel hadn't arrived yet.

"Where's Rachel? Usually she's the one whose thirty minutes early." Mr Schue asked. The glee club said nothing. Only Puck was laughing at the back. Just as he was about to tell the story as to where she was, in walked the new and improved Rachel berry. And she had a scowl on her face that could kill.

"I have just been made to fifty lines, Noah Puckerman, as to why I should not announce in class what is up my ass! And all because of you!" She said evilly. The glee club started laughing but Rachel was not amused. She strolled straight over to Puck and started hitting the laughing teen viscously. Puck didn't resist and continued laughed.

"Oh come on, Rach, it was funny!" He said defensively as she swotted him hard over his head.

"It wasn't!" She moaned but by this time she was laughing too.

"You're laughing! It was funny! Really funny!" Puck said grabbing Rachel's wrists in an act of self defensive. She struggled powerlessly in the arms of Puck before collapsing on the floor in a fit of giggles.

"Geez you could cut that sexual tension with a knife." Kurt said. Rachel and Puck both immediately stopped laughing and moved quickly away from each other.

"Hell to the yes!" Mercedes chipped in. By this time, Rachel and Puck were on different side of the room with faces that look startled. The whole room was looking at them.

"We can all guess what you guys got up to over summer!" Quinn said jokily.

"What? No! Oh, God, no!" Puck said.  
"Huh? Absolutely not! No way in hell!" Rachel said defiantly. Mr Schue raised his eyebrows and gave a little nod.

"Well I've decided that since we've had a long break and you guys probably haven't seen much of each other." Mr Schue began; as he spoke he flipped his gaze between Puck and Rachel. "I'm gunna mix it up. In these hats I have girls' names, and boys' names. I'm gunna make a pair and that couple will sing a song about how they see the other person. Now I know that for some of you that will be easy. But clearly as we have seen from Rachel and Puck today, feelings change."

"Hey! My feelings have not changed one bit about Rachel Berry! She's still annoying!" Puck said defensively.

"And Puck's only given me more of a reason today to see him as an ignorant pig!" Rachel replied.

"Alright guys, whatever, lets just hope you two don't get paired together otherwise would could have some sort of weird flirtatious war break out. Now I'm giving you two weeks. You can perform it as a mash-up, a duet or just two solos, whatever you decide as long as it tells the truth. Now Rachel, seen as you always have so much to say, why don't you pick your partner out the hat first?" Mr Schue concluded. Rachel got up in a huff and scowled at Puck. He stuck his tongue out cheekily at her. Her innards went crazy.

She whirled her hand around inside the paper-filled hat and plucked a small notelet out of it. She unfolded the paper carefully only to see the name she dreaded written on the paper.

"Who did you get, Rach?" Kurt asked, hoping it was him so he could sing about how she was suppressing his talent. Rachel took a deep breath.

"Noah Puckerman." She moaned.

"Ah what the hell? This is so rigged! I can't sing about Rachel, she's too annoying! It would like spending time with my little sister or something. I can't do this. I down right refuse. You know she insinuated I couldn't READ earlier." Puck complained.

"Don't think for one moment I want to go with you either, Noah! I'd much rather be with anyone else in the room!" She spat. Rachel screwed up the notelet and folded her arms.

"Now come off it guys! You're working together and that's that! If you hate each other so much, why don't you sing about it?" Mr Schue said trying hard to reason with the teens.

"Because she'd probably cry and then get her gay dads to come and knife me up or something." Puck whined.

"Oh yeah, cos that's what most homosexual parents are known for, knife crime." Rachel said sarcastically. Puck sniggered.

"Come on then you." Puck said tapping a seat next to him. Rachel flounced over to the seat and moved a few inches away from where it was before. The other girls picked their partners easily. Artie went with Brittany, Quinn went with Kurt, Mike went with Mercedes, Finn went with Tina and Matt went with Santana.

"If you guys sing any love song together, I swear to God I will vomit on Rachel's head." Puck said to Santana and Matt.

"Why my head?" Rachel muttered.

"Cos you repulse me so much anyway, I'll probably just vom everywhere anyway!"

"Mr Schue, I refuse to work with such a rude imbecile." Rachel complained.

"Oh my gawd just get a room already!" Quinn said suddenly. Everyone but Puck and Rachel laughed. Instead they shifted uneasily in their seats.

"I plan on singing English girl band, The Saturdays, number one hit 'Ego' as I think it defines your conceited and repulsive attitude." Rachel snapped.

"I plan on singing The Hussy's 'Rachel', as it says exactly what I think of you." Puck said. Rachel had no clue what song he was talking about but seen as he'd taken the time to think of a song that actually included her name, she felt it couldn't be too bad.

How wrong she was. After downloading the song from iTunes that evening, it was clear that this girl 'Rachel' was not what she had expected. Rachel was shocked by the chorus.

_Believe me she's a bully,  
She tried to take my dinner money  
Believe me she's a bully  
Her poisoned words are caked in honey  
I know I'm not going mental  
I know she ain't so sweet and gentle  
I don't want to be part of the scene where everybody loves Rachel_

Rachel felt it her duty to change Puck's mind before show day, otherwise she was sure of total humiliation. She leant over to grab her phone to ring Puck about the song but as she did so, it began to ring itself.

"Hey! This 'Ego' song is just rude as gives the Glee club even more reason to suspect were dating or something!" Puck yelled down the phone.

"And your 'Rachel' song's not that much better! When have I ever tried to steal your dinner money? I think you'll find you've been the bully in this relationship!" Rachel snapped back.

"Fine. So we'll agree on one thing, we will not do those songs at Glee."

"Fine. Ok. Sure. Whatever." Rachel said breathlessly.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" Puck asked after a few awkward seconds of silence down the phone.

"Same as I always do on a Tuesday night."

"And what would that be?" Puck asked, getting a bit restless. Getting Rachel to talk was usually easily but over the phone it was like pulling teeth.

"Nothing." She replied.

"You could've said that in the first place." Just as Rachel was about get all high and mighty again, Puck quickly spoke before she got the chance to.

"How about I take you out? Just like to the park. Not like a date or anything. Just as friends doing research on each other. Not the sexual kind. Not a date." He said.

"God no not a date. But yeah, fine. I'll meet you on the corner of Erik Avenue tomorrow. About seven?" Rachel said.

"Sure seven would be great. Bring some pens and paper and crap. So I can like write stuff down about you." Puck said. He said it kindly, lovingly almost. They said goodbye to each other. Rachel got her stuff ready for school the next day. Her dads would be home tomorrow morning. She couldn't wait to see them. Usually, just before she closed her eyes to go to sleep she would find her mind thinking about Broadway. But tonight, as she rolled over in her big, lonely, double bed, she thought about Puck. And what she was going to sing about him. She secretly liked him a bit. But she wasn't going to let anybody know that.

Puck cleaned his teeth ferociously before watching his pecks dance in the mirror. It made him laugh a bit. He thought back on his first day of school and laughed about the biology disaster. And the funny slapping thing Rachel had done. He crashed into his messy duvet nest and looked upwards to the ceiling. He closed his eyes slowly and thought about Rachel's laughing face in glee.

_The Saturdays – Ego_

_The Hussy's – Rachel_


	3. Chapter 3

**Here you go, yet another chapter! **

**Over 1000 hits and only two reviews? C'mon guys! **

**Please R&R!**

**I don't own Glee or the song used in this piece! **

**(Oh yeah the song choice was the most applicable, so sorry if you don't like it, sorry! I don't own it either!)**

Puck woke with a start the next morning. His phone had beeped criminally loud at him. He rolled over a read the text he'd received.

_Auditorium booked. Be there at 1:30 sharp or expect a punch in the face from yours truly, Rachel _

He laughed. He grabbed a pen on his messy nightstand and wrote the details on a piece of paper. He jumped in the shower and sang The Hussy's 'Rachel' very loudly to the shower nozzle.

"So who's Rachel then?" His mom asked as he came down the stairs still singing at the top of his lungs.

"Oh just some girl from Glee." He said.

"Some girl from Glee? But you never mentioned her before." His ma stated handing him a warm cup of coffee in a chipped and battered 'Noah' mug.

"Never seen the need, ma. She's a pain in the ass if I'm honest with you. A hot pain with a killer voice but a freaking annoyance at the same time." He told her. His mom laughed.

"That's how it starts. Has she started hitting you repeatedly yet and telling you that she hates you?" His mom asked with a smile. Puck thought about it for a while.

"Yeah, many a time. Look, she bruised me, ma, a bruise!" Puck said pointing to a small purple patch on his torso.

"I'd say you're in there then, Noah." His mom smirked. Puck centred all his energy onto not spitting his coffee everywhere. Instead he took a large gulp.

"What? No way! I wouldn't go out with Rachel even if someone paid me!" He said.

"Is that so?" A voice at the door said. Puck span round.

"What are you doing here?" He said moodily.

"There are simply not enough hours in the school day to get this glee thing sorted, especially with you seen as you have the attention span of some sort of caged monkey, I figured if I could get you to talk songs on the way to school, we'd save our save ourselves much embarrassment by not being seen together and we'd have more time. Giving us a heads up on the other couples." Rachel said proudly. Puck's mom laughed in a kind way. Puck shrugged and took a finally gulp of his coffee.

"Who let you in?" He grunted.

"A small girl with similar facial features to yours. I'd say your sister." She said.

"I'm gunna kill you, Becky!" Noah screamed at the top of his lungs. His sister came running down.

"Why, what did I do now?" She asked.

"You let this mentalist into our home, you idiot." Puck said, pointing at Rachel. Rachel smiled and said Hi as if being called a mentalist was the norm.

"How lovely. Mentalist, that's a new one from you Noah. I suspect with your limited vocabulary, you'll be using this insult repeatedly throughout the day." Rachel said. Puck mimicked her and pushed his way past. Rachel stood in the door frame looking around the kitchen. Puck's mom was sitting at the table laughing quietly to herself as she read the paper.

"Oi! Barbra Streisand, are we leaving or are you just gunna stand in my kitchen like some sort of ugly Israeli ornament?" Puck screamed from the front yard.

"How pleasant." Rachel muttered.

"Don't speak to ladies like that, Noah!" Puck's mom called after them.

"Don't worry ma, I won't. She's not a lady she's a weirdo." Puck laughed. Rachel slapped him hard over the head and then laughed. Mrs Puckerman looked at the couple, still laughing to herself.

Rachel waited awkwardly at the corner of Erik Avenue at five to seven. She wasn't wearing her jeans today, but she'd tried to wear more casual clothes and not mini skirts and knee high socks. She was wearing a multi-coloured skirt that sat nicely just above her hips, with a white vest top and a pair of brown gladiator sandals. She'd packed a cardigan in her bag, along with a pen and paper, in case it got cooler.

Puck strolled around the corner ten minutes late. Rachel was not only a stickler for rules; she was also a stickler for punctuality.

"Are you incapable of everything?" Rachel said frustrated. Puck looked down at himself.

"Well I seemed to have dressed myself ok… and I tied my shoelaces so I can't be incapable of every-"

"Oh shut it Noah." Rachel said tossing her hair behind her. As she did so a waft of her fruity shampoo swirled up Puck's nostrils. With just the smell he wanted to grab her and kiss her but then he remember that she was Rachel Berry and no self-respecting stud like himself would ever kiss Rachel Berry. Not even if she had turned into a slamming hotty over the summer. Which she had.

The couple took a spot in the bleak park. The grass was dry from the scorching hot Ohio summer that was passing. Puck took out a small over-sharpened pencil and a crumpled bit of paper from his pocket. Rachel pulled out a giant starry binder and an array of brightly coloured pens.

"We couldn't be more opposite." Puck said to himself as he looked at Rachel organise her stationery. She looked up at him in a sneaky sexy kind of way. Puck felt himself lean forward as if to kiss her but averted the gesture into just taking one of her pens. Puck lay down and looked upwards to the pink sunset clouds. What was going on? Why was he suddenly so desperate to make out with Rachel? He was a stud, and frankly, she was just weird.

"I suggest we start with writing nice things about each other first." Rachel said demandingly.

"Whoa, no can do I'm afraid." Puck said. Rachel looked immediately worried.

"Why?" She said with a quiver of panic in her voice.

"You have to do something nice for me to write something nice. And lately, you've just been a bitch to me." He said jokily. Rachel hit him.

"Don't ever refer to me as a female dog again, Noah, or I will have you watch one eat your family." Rachel smiled. Noah sat up and started writing. Rachel did too. The couple stopped after about five minutes.

"Read what you've got." Puck demanded.

"Ok. Well I've put that you have a nice body, you can be quite funny and that you can play guitar." She stated. It wasn't a very long list he thought, though there seemed to be lots more written down on her paper.

"Read them all." He said. Rachel blushed.

"I put that you always make me laugh when I'm sad even though it's usually for the wrong reasons. You said that I looked nice yesterday. Ever since you got slushied, you stopped throwing them at me. You sang Sweet Caroline to me. You made out with me on my bed. You wear nice clothes, nowadays that is. You stick up for me in glee club." She concluded. Her face was bright red but Puck just reached over a stroked her arm. It was as if sparks were flying between his fingertips.

"Do me." She said innocently.

"We're in a public place. I feel that's a tad inappropriate." Puck laughed. Rachel moved her arm fiercely. They both knew she didn't mean it like that, she meant the list. But Puck was always the guy to make all the sexual jokes. He'd ruined the moment. In some ways he was glad he had, otherwise he was pretty sure he was going to kiss her.

"I'm sorry. I'm being immature. Boys are, it's our thing. Girls have crazy mood swings, boys have immaturity. Now, my list of nice things about you, Rachel Berry." He began. Rachel smiled.

"Your hair smells amazing. Your hair is amazing. You have a killer singing voice. You're very dramatic, both good and bad. You have beautiful eyes. You're not afraid of who you are or how people see you. You make me laugh. You're kinda crazy so that always adds a little excitement. You have a slamming hot body and I think you're pretty beautiful. I think you're wonderful." He said. He looked up at Rachel. She was smiling.

"Would it be terribly inappropriate to hug you?" She asked naively.

"Well…" Puck began before he launched himself at her. She fell backwards to the ground. They both laughed. Before he knew it, Puck was lying right on top of Rachel, looking deep into her brown eyes. He was so close he could see his own reflection in them. They were still laughing a bit. Rachel was more than Puck.

"I asked for a hug, Noah, not to be mounted!" She giggled. He laughed to but he couldn't help but think he'd missed an opportunity to kiss her. He rolled off of her.

"I don't think it's necessary to write mean things. I've got a pretty big list on why you're wonderful. I'm pretty sure we can work that into a song." Rachel said. Puck nodded in agreement before getting up and walking Rachel home.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." She said.

"Uhuh." Puck said awkwardly. He wanted so bad to lean over and kiss her but there was something inside him stopping him.

"Well bye then." Rachel said.

"Yep. Goodbye." Puck said. He was about to turn away but Rachel grabbed his arm. She got up on the tips of her toes and whispered in his ear;

"Thanks for a great time." Before kissing him lightly on the cheek and scurrying into her house. Puck stood bewildered for a little while on Rachel's front yard.

He got home to find his sister watching TV in his room.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked.

"I couldn't sleep and I couldn't be bothered to go downstairs." She said.

"Well, I don't care. Get out of my room!" He demanded.

"Where did you go, Noah?" She asked as she got up out of his bed.  
"To the park." He stated trying to get his sister to just leave.

"Who with?" She asked again. She was just buying time now.

"Rachel. Look what does it matter to you anyway? Go to bed."

"I liked Rachel. She was funny. She told you off." Becky said sweetly.

"Yeah she did, now go!" Puck said getting a little frustrated with his sister now.

"Does she always tell you off?"

"My god, Becky, seriously. Just go." Puck said exasperated.

"Ok, ok, I'm going. One last question." Becky said.

"Fine." Puck said defeated.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"No. Now, be off with you, you great big pain in the ass." Puck said shutting the door on his sister.

"You said Rachel was a pain in the ass but I bet you wouldn't shut her out of your room!" Becky screamed.

"Whatever, Becky, just shut up and go to bed." She was right. Puck would definitely not shut Rachel out of his bedroom.

"Ahh jeez, not you again." Puck said as he opened the front door to see Rachel the next morning. It was weird, in the mornings they were just like they always were, bickering. But by the time evening came, all Puck wanted to do was kiss her all over.

"You're very rude at times, Noah." Rachel said immediately just striding into his house.

"Morning Rachel!" Becky said as she hugged her. Rachel was a little bewildered.

"Good morning…" She mouthed the words 'Becky, is it?' to Puck. He nodded.

"Becky!" She said.

"You know last night Puck said that he wanted you in his bedroom." Becky said. Puck spluttered and Rachel's eyes literally bulged out of their sockets.

"No I didn't!" Puck said, he felt himself flush.

"Yeah you did! You called me a pain in the ass, and then I said you called Rachel a pain in the ass but I bet you wouldn't shut her out of your room. And then you said no you're right I wouldn't." Becky explained.

"What the hell, no I didn't!" He said.

"He did." Becky whispered to Rachel.

"Rachel, do not listen to this idiot. I didn't say I wanted you in my room." Puck said hoping that Rachel wouldn't ask any more questions and Becky would shut up and go away.

"Liar!" Becky sang.

"I'M THE LIAR, YOU'RE THE LIAR MORE LIKE!" Puck yelled. Rachel shuffled awkwardly in the hall.

"You are a liar because you also said that she wasn't your girlfriend but she obviously is because you never shut up about her and she's been over twice in two days. And you took her on a date last night and you said-"

"Becky, I'm not Noah's girlfriend." Rachel clarified. She was pretty sure that Puck was going to explode if she didn't intervene. Becky shrugged and went up the stairs saying;

"I dunno, kids these days, eh!" in a sarcastic motherly-like voice.

"You guys better get a move on." Puck's mom said. Puck took Rachel's hand as they left. Rachel snatched it away amidst the awkwardness that had just been thrown at her by his younger sibling.

"So do you, or do you not want me in your room?" Rachel asked as they trundled down the sidewalk together. Puck thought about this for a while.

"Not gunna lie, Rach, I don't really know." Rachel looked at him. She was praying he was going to give the answer "Of course I want you in my room, I love you!" but that was just a fantasy. Puck looked at Rachel. She looked disappointed but he didn't know what to say.

"It would be lovely for you to see my room." He said. It didn't really make any sense.

"So you want me to see your room but you don't want me in your room… in-that way." She said. Puck nodded. Then shook his head. Then just shrugged.

"Glad we got that sorted out then." Rachel said in huff. She hurried off to where Quinn and Kurt were. Puck just stood kind of bewildered. This girl was amazing, but she was driving his head insane.

"So, Rach, are you gunna tell us what's going on with you and Puck or are you gunna keep us hanging on?" Kurt asked.

"What? Nothing's going on with Puck. We're just good friends." Rachel told them honestly.

"Ahh… the 'just good friends'" Quinn chipped in. Since the start of the semester she'd started to hang out with Rachel, Kurt and the other's more. She sat with Rachel and Puck in Math and weirdly, Rachel and Quinn had struck a surprising friendship.

"I don't know what you are insinuating Quinn Fabray, but I shall clear that air for you now, Puck and I are just good friends." Rachel insisted.

"Who's just good friends?" Puck said suddenly.

"We are." Rachel said. Puck felt his heart sink.

"Oh…yeah…we're just good friends."

"Wasn't it you that made up the 'just good friends'?" Mercedes asked Kurt.

"Why yes it was." He said proudly. Rachel had no idea what he was talking about.

"The 'just good friends' is when there are two friends but its blatantly obvious that they both wanna bang each other like crazy." Puck and Rachel both looked at each other, scared. Quinn laughed.

"Well… my class is this way!" Puck said quickly, dashing down the end of the corridor.

"No it's not we've got biology!" Rachel called after him.

"Ahh well, see you around!" He yelled back. She shot the others a look.

"Congratulations." She said sarcastically. Quinn linked arms with her and whispered;

"You know, he wants you back. Why don't you just go for it?" Rachel knew exactly why she wasn't going to just 'go for it'.

"Because, Quinn Fabray, I am Rachel Berry, reject, and he is Noah Puckerman, stud. It's not going to work." Quinn smiled the all knowing smile she always had.

Puck didn't turn up for biology. Rachel even covered for him, saying he was ill. She even, hating to deny it, missed him a bit. She liked like crazy but whenever she really thought about it, he was still just an irritation to deal with. And there was no way he was going to like her back.

Funnily enough, Puck did actually turn up for Glee club. It was like nothing had happened.

"I except you guys would have already started on your song." My Schue said. The room nodded. All apart from Puck and Rachel. They'd spent so much time bickering and flirting that they'd not even picked a song.

"I wanna surprise you, Rach. I don't want to do a duet. I wanna do two solos. You do one, and I do one." He said. Rachel looked at him.

"We could always do three and do one together as well. It's a lot of work but we'd only have to work on our song together, together. The other songs we can practise at home. Keep it more of a surprise but still making sure people think we're working together." Rachel said sheepishly. She was kind of worried that Puck didn't want to do the glee thing now. He hadn't turned up for Biology.

"Why weren't you there, last period?" She asked. His face sank and he started rubbing his hands together.

"I just… didn't feel like it." For once in his life he actually felt bad for skipping class. Before he wouldn't have cared two hoots. Not even if his dream girl had had a massive go at him about it. But Rachel didn't have a go. She just looked really disappointed and downhearted.

"I missed you." She said solemnly. Puck felt so guilty. Rachel got up and went over to the book of sheet music.

"I think this sums us up." She said, flicking the book open right onto the Miley Cyrus section. Not that he was going to admit it or anything, but Puck knew pretty much all the words to all the Miley Cyrus songs because of his sister.

"We've gotta mean what we sing. If you don't mean it just say." Rachel took a deep breathe.

"But I mean them." Puck looked at the sheet music again and began to play the chords on his guitar.

"I do too. It sums us up well."

_I probably shouldn't say this,_

_But at times I get so scared,_

_When I think about the previous_

_Relationship we shared._

Rachel sang softly. Puck took a deep breath in.

_It was awesome but we lost it,_

_It's not possible for me not to care,_

_And now we're standing in the rain,_

_But nothing's ever gunna change,_

_Until you hear, my dear._

The couple both looked at each other. They were just about to get all romantic but then Puck strummed the first chord of the chorus and Rachel went insane.

_The 7 things I hate about you!_

_The 7 things I hate about you, oh you,_

_You're vain, you're game, you're insecure,_

_You love me, you like her,_

_You make me laugh, you make me cry,_

_I don't know which side to buy!_

Rachel did hate Puck. But she also cared him dearly. Puck just wanted to scream at her most of the time. Rachel continued to sing. She stood up and was literally yelling in Puck's face.

_Your friends, you're jerks,_

_When you act like them, just know it hurts,_

_I wanna be with the one I know,_

_And the 7__th__ thing I hate the most that you do,_

Rachel was about to sing the last line but drew into herself. Mr Schue came over.

"You've really gotta mean the lyrics guys." He said. It was as if he was trying to talk them out of their song choice. Rachel got up and scuttled to the toilets. Quinn followed after her.

Rachel locked herself in one of the cubicles. She pulled her legs up onto the toilet and sobbed into her knees.

"Hey, Rachel, are you ok?" Quinn said knocking on the cubicle door.

"I don't know Quinn. I don't know anything anymore! Why did he have to come into my life now! I was just fine without him and now… I can't stop thinking about him! Why me, Quinn?" Rachel cried.

"Let me in, Rach." She asked attentively. Rachel got up and unlocked the door. She hugged Quinn and cried. All Quinn could do was stroke her friend's back and tell her that everything was going to be ok.

Puck, meanwhile, was in the choir room mulling over his emotions. He didn't need this girl mucking up his life. He didn't need her. He could quite easily go off and get any other girl and have a lot less hassle with it. Finn came over and sat down next to his best friend.

"Hey dude, you ok? You look like, really, like you're thinking or something."

"Don't girls just piss you off? I mean one minute they hate you and the next their coming over to your house for breakfast and crying to their friends in the freaking toilets over you! Seriously it's just ridiculous. Like two days ago I didn't even like Rachel as a friend. And now! Now! What the hell! Now I freaking wanna kiss her all the time!" Puck only realised his voice had slowly gotten louder. Everyone was staring at him. He was just thankful that Rachel wasn't in the room. He'd only just admitted to himself that he liked Rachel. Consequently, he'd done it in front of everyone else.

"Well if you put it like that, yeah, girls do piss me off." Finn answered. Quinn walked into the choir room and grabbed her and Rachel's bags.

"I-i-is Rachel alright-t-t?" Tina asked. Puck was desperate to know as well but he couldn't bear to admit anymore.

"Yeah, she's fine. She just felt a bit ill that's all. Why?" She asked. Quinn had missed Puck's speech about crushing on Rachel.

"When you give Rachel her bag, could you give her this as well?" Puck asked. He'd handed Quinn a piece paper. It was the one from the park.

"Sure. She said she'd speak to you tomorrow. But that she was getting a lift from one her many dads to school so she wouldn't see you till school." Quinn told him. Puck nodded.

"Oh and that you have biology homework." Quinn then rummaged through Rachel's bag and pulled out her biology book. Puck took the book.

_7 things – Miley Cyrus_


	4. Chapter 4

**This is the chapter you've all been waiting for! Well, I think so **

**I've had loads of hits but please… more reviews!**

**I don't own glee or the songs in this piece!**

Rachel lay curled on her bed, her Annie soundtrack playing softly and a giant tub of ice cream cradled in her arms.

"The Sun'll come out, tomorrow." She sang to herself. Just three days ago she hated Noah Puckerman viciously. And now what? She wanted him so bad. Her fathers had no idea what was up with Rachel. But they knew it wasn't something good.

"Hey, Rachel, are you ok?" Her dads asked. They sat down on her bed next to her.

"Uhuh." Rachel said, just gazing into space.

"Look, you've gotta tell us what's wrong." Her daddy asked, stroking her hair.

"You wouldn't understand." She sighed.

"Do want us to go?" Her other dad asked.

"Yeah. But can you bring me the phone?" She asked. They nodded; one of them took the tub of ice cream away from her.

"Hello, Mrs Fabray speaking." Answered the voice on the phone.

"Hello, Mrs Fabray, is Quinn there? It's Rachel."

"Why yes, I'll just get her." She said.

"Hi, Rach." Quinn said suddenly.

"Can you come over?" Rachel asked. She'd barely been friends with Quinn. They used to hate each other. But since the new school year, which only started three days ago, she and Quinn had become good friends.

"Sure. You still feeling crappy?" Quinn asked.

"Yep. I just dunno Quinn. I hate him so much. But then this song? I dunno. It changed everything. I didn't want it to change, Quinn. I wanted it to be normal."

"Alright, alright, I'll be over in about 15 minutes. But I swear, I'm there to make you feel better and not to listen to you moan. You like Noah Puckerman and you need to suck it up and either get over it. Or get on with it." Quinn said matter-of-factly. Quinn laughed and put down the phone.

Puck was sitting in his room playing video games. He was getting smashed at a game he was usually amazing at. He kept thinking about Rachel, and it was starting to get on his nerves. He didn't need her, he didn't really like her and he definitely didn't want to see her. But he did _want_ her. He watched the army-clad virtual man explode on his screen. Puck looked at his phone. The last text he received was from Rachel. He re-read it a number of times. What was it about her? What was it that made Puck go weak at the knees? He thought he hated her. He was _sure _he hated her. She was so annoying and snobby and vindictive. But then she was also kind and beautiful and funny. How could she be both?

Puck and Rachel didn't speak until the Sunday evening of the following weekend. It was Puck who made the phone call. He'd sworn to himself he wasn't going to talk about anything but glee.

"Have you been practicing your song?" He asked.

"Of course. You?" The conversation was awkward and dull.

"Yeah. Are we still going to do '7 things' as our together song?" He said. It had taken him a while to pluck up the courage and ask.

"We haven't got much time to change it. Glee club's on Tuesday." Rachel replied.

"Yeah alright then. Practise tomorrow?"

"Fine. I don't know where though. Tina booked the auditorium and the choir room's taken by Quinn."

"Come back to my house. Then you can see my room." Puck said. He hadn't really thought about what he was going to say. It just came out.

"O-o-ok." Rachel stammered. Why did he want her to come over to his house? It was just to practice, she thought. Just practice.

Rachel looked at herself. She picked at every part of her. Her skirt was too short, her hair was too curly, and her shoes weren't shiny enough. Everything was wrong.

"Going to see someone?" Her dad asked. Rachel nodded before crumbling into her father's arms.

"Hey…hey what's up?" He asked.

"Everything, dad, everything! Fricking boys to be précised. Or boy even more so. Or Noah. Stupid, fricking Noah Puckerman!" Rachel cried into her father's arms.

"Boy trouble. Well lucky for you, Berry-Boo, you have one father here. And one downstairs. And both have had their fair share of boy trouble. Now you can either come downstairs and we'll watch West Side Story for the millionth time or we can doll you up and you can go out and meet this boy. It's up to you, Berry-Boo." Her father said tenderly. Her other father came into the room with a glass of water. Rachel slurped at the glass and wiped the excess away from her mouth.

"I-I-I think I'm gunna go and meet Noah. I promised him and we do really need to practise our song. I'm not gunna let some boy ruin my future Broadway career as a star." Rachel said wiping the tears away from her face. She looked back at herself. She didn't look perfect. But she didn't look bad.

"That's our little girl." Her dads said hugging her tightly.

Puck looked around his room. It was a tip. Inside, he panicked. He'd specifically asked Rachel to see his room. And now, he wished he hadn't. He quickly ran around the room, stuffing dirty plates and laundry in inconspicuous places.

"Jeez, Noah, this room is a mess!" Rachel said suddenly.

"Yeah well I was tidying it until YOU walked in." he said in a huff.

"Whatever. Is there a spot in this room that I could sit, or perch, on that won't stain my clothes?" Rachel said with a smile. Puck cleared a space on his bed. Rachel was about to sit down. Puck waggled his finger and went over to the wall. He looked at his football poster and peeled it away. He then placed it on the bed.

"M'lady…" Puck said pointing to the poster covered bed. Rachel laughed.

"Oh come off it, Puck, I'm not that bad." Rachel sniggered, she routed around in her bag for the sheet music. She'd called him Puck. He instantly felt a pang of hurt inside. Everyone else called him Puck. But Rachel called him _Noah. _

"I've asked Finn to do drums. The other instruments are covered by school band. Obviously you'll be on guitar." She said. All that she'd said had completely gone over his head and Puck was in a trance.

"Yeah. Cool. Hey, I could teach you guitar if you like." He said.

"That would be lovely, Noah, but we really should get on with our other song." Rachel desperately wanted Noah to teach her guitar. But she couldn't say it.

"Oh. Ok. Well, let's get on then. You're not gunna bail on me again cos you have to say you lurrvve me." He mocked. Rachel tutted and started singing.

They practiced the song four times through before finally, Puck's mom came in and complained that if she heard Puck say how many things he hated about Rachel, she would start singing too. And according to Puck, that was a cross between a strangled cat and a dying pig. Rachel took a deep sigh and flung herself back on Puck's bed.

"Your sheets smell like you." She said breathing in the soft musky smell that reminded her so much of Puck. Puck lay back too; he turned over and was looking right at Rachel.

"Well, I do sleep on them." He said. They were lying on the bed next to each other. Puck held Rachel's hand. It was so soft.

"Makes sense." She smiled and shrugged. She rolled over too. She was just inches away from Puck's face. He moved his hand to move the hair out of her eyes. He then stroked her cheek lovingly. It was soft like a baby's. Rachel lifted her finger and touched his lips fondly. She went round them in a circle. Puck felt his lips tingle next to her soft fingertip.

"You really should use chapstick." She whispered.

"You really should lend me your moisturiser." He murmured back. He meant it as a joke but neither of them laughed. Rachel shuffled in closer. Puck didn't care that he was a stud and she was the gleek. He wanted her and he was pretty sure she wanted him. Rachel's finger trailed away from his lips to the behind of his ear. She then took her whole hand a fluffed it in his Mohawk.

"I like you Rachel." Puck continued in a soft tone. He lent into kiss her.

"Wait." She said, putting her hand defensively on Puck's chest. Puck felt ashamed but he didn't move. She took her hand out of his hair and delved into her pocket. She brought out a chapstick and applied it kindly to Puck's lips.

"Now kiss me." She said. Puck didn't need telling twice. He kissed her very tenderly but still with dominance. Thoughts whirled inside of him. He was so confused. He deeply cared about this girl, but they were both so insistent that they didn't like each other but then they kissed like this. Puck was grappling his hands in Rachel's hair. The newly applied chapstick smeared all around both their faces. They finally broke apart and looked right into each others eyes. Puck was lying lustfully on top of Rachel.

"You've gotta little chapstick…right there." Puck said using his thumbs to just smear the chapstick further. Rachel laughed and just rubbed her hands all over his chiselled features.

"I better go." Rachel said sadly.

"But I don't want you to." Puck replied with a smile.

"We're singing tomorrow. I need to get a good night's sleep." Rachel said pushing Puck off the top of her. Puck grabbed her hand in defiance.

"I'll walk you to school tomorrow. I promise."

"Ok, Noah, I'll see you then. Don't forget your guitar, baby." Rachel kissed Noah lightly on the forehead. She turned and walked out of his room. Puck sat on his bed thinking about what had just happened. He stared around. The chapstick lay next to him. There was no way he was going to forget that. He put it in an old tin box. He kept everything sacred in there. He had a picture of him and his dad, a key to the lock chain on his very first bike, a Star of David pendant that was his mom's and a picture drawn by Finn of the two of them. He could tell that Rachel was for the long haul, before it was even official.

"Morning, Beautiful." Puck said kissing Rachel lightly on the forehead.

"Why thank you! Good morning to you too." She replied with a huge grin. She linked arms with him affectionately.

"At least you remembered your guitar."

"Of course." Puck said with a huge smile. This girl was crazy but utterly lovely and delicious at the same time. All he wanted to do was carry her in his arms and never let go. As the couple walked onwards together they heard two very shrill voices screaming behind them.

"OI! RACHEL!" The familiar voice of Quinn and Mercedes screamed. They turned round to see Quinn and Mercedes dashing towards them at an alarming speed.

"Oh my god guys!" Mercedes said cheerily.

"What? What's happened?" Rachel said, deeply alarmed.

"You guys!" Quinn said.

"What? Please enlighten us!" Puck answered confused by the girls.

"You're together! You macked!" Mercedes screeched. Puck and Rachel looked at each other.

"Who told you this?" Puck asked, Mercedes and Quinn screamed and jumped around together.

"Breathe Quinn, breathe." Mercedes said. Both girls did over dramatic hand movements and took huge deep breaths.

"OH MY GOD THEY'RE NOT DENYING IT!" Quinn squealed.

"I told you so!" Mercedes burst.

"You're a genius!" Quinn smiled.

"Right, would you care to explain what the hell you guys are chatting about? And taking, because what ever it is, it's not good for you." Puck said. All four of them walked all together into school.

"Well basically. Quinn rang your home phone last night, Rach, and your dads said you were at some boy's. We figured that would be Puck's place. And then we were like, OMG, if we insinuate that we already knew you'd been macking, would find out if you really were. And then you didn't deny it, therefore you're totally had!" Quinn said excitedly. Rachel slammed her head into Puck's body.

"Alright fine. We macked. But that's it. Please can you not tell everyone?" Puck said, he found himself getting really embarrassed. And he felt inside, that it was because of Rachel he felt embarrassed. He was crazy about the girl. But he was also crazy about how people saw him. And if people found out he made out with Rachel, his rep would spiral downwards. He dropped Rachel's hand and shoved it in his pocket.

"I'll see you later." Puck said quickly walking towards his football friends. The three girls stopped laughing. Rachel just wanted to run after him but he left in an awkward way.

"I think he's embarrassed." She said solemnly.

"No he's not!" Quinn said putting her arm around her friend kindly.

"He is. He made out with Rachel Berry the reject. Of course he's going to be humiliated about that."

"But you're not a reject!" Mercedes said. Rachel shrugged and wiggled her mouth. Quinn couldn't say anything. She was scared that he was embarrassed and that her new best friend was going to be crushed before anything even began.

Puck knelt on the grass outside in his full football kit. He lent his red helmet on his knee and kept wiping his forehead in confusion.

"Seriously, dude, you need to stop with all this intense thinking stuff. You look like you're sick or something." Finn said.

"Shut up, Finn. I'm not sick. I've just got a headache that's all. It's probably the heat or something." Puck lied. His head was hurting with the strange and annoying thoughts that kept swimming around inside.

"Why hello there, Puck. I heard about your antics last night." Kurt said sneakily in the changing rooms after practice. Puck grabbed Kurt by the collar on his plum velvet blazer.

"Shut it. I don't want anyone to know. So you keep schtum or I will pound you." He threatened. Kurt went white.

"Why?" Kurt muttered.

"Because… I said so, alright?"

"Hey, Mr Schue can I say something?" Quinn asked as she came into the choir room.

"Sure, Quinn, go ahead." He said. Quinn stood square in the centre of the room and clasped her hands together with a smile.

"I was just wondering, since, weirdly, after the summer break, we've all become like strangely good friends, we should hang out more. The summer's nearly over but the pool in town is still open. Why don't we all go down there this weekend? It could be fun." She said. Everyone looked at each other. Quinn was nervous about what they were all going to say.

"Sure!" Mercedes said happily after a few brief seconds of thought.

"Yeah, that would be great!" Finn chipped in. Quinn took a sigh of relief.

"Right guys, now that Quinn has got that out of the way. Why don't we crack on with your assignments? Rachel and Puck, you're up first because you were picked out first." Mr Schue said.

"We chose to do a duet, and then two solos. So I figured that I'd go first, then the duet and then Rachel. It's pretty limited on chorography, on my part at least." Puck said going over to pick up his guitar.

He took a deep breathe and began strumming his guitar.

_I woke up this morning  
I found that I had  
a smile on my face  
I asked myself what's this for  
and I remembered you  
and I thought of you_

_reality  
you barely know me  
I want to know you  
I want to sit beside you  
and talk about anything  
I wanna be with you  
everyday with you  
but that  
that won't happen  
that probably won't happen  
no way  
no way_

but then I recall last nights drama  
I got frustrated  
than I went back to sleep  
my dreams were of you  
and your pretty face  
when I got up  
I wanted to get out of bed  
and go to your place

but  
you barely know me  
I want to know you  
I want to sit beside you  
and talk about anything  
I wanna be with you  
everyday with you  
but that  
that wont happen  
that probably wont happen  
no way  
that'll be the day

but can I just say  
I think you're wonderful, wonderful  
yeah  
but can I just say  
I think you're wonderful...wonderful

but you barely know me  
I want to know you  
I want to sit beside you  
and talk about anything

but that  
that wont happen  
that probably wont happen  
no way  
that'll be the day

because you barely know me  
and I want to know you  
I want to sit beside you  
and talk about anything  
I want to be with you  
everyday with you  
but that  
that wont happen  
that probably wont happen  
no way  
that'll be the day  
no way

He took a small bow with his head. The whole choir room burst into applause.

"And that's how you feel about Rachel?" Mr Schue asked inquisitively.

"Well… yeah. I suppose I do. She is pretty wonderful." Puck answered. Rachel's heart did flips.

"And now for your duet piece." He said. The couple sang the lyrics to Miley Cyrus's '7 things' in a heartfelt way. The first chorus was sung by Rachel, then the second by Puck and the third, slightly different, together. The glee club sat around in disbelief. All of them apart from Quinn, Mercedes and Kurt. Kurt was sitting on the edge of his seat. He wasn't talking, but he was still scared he might let slip about what he knew about the pair.

"I know you're all expecting a show tune, and trust me I went over my repertoire about 15 times to find something but I couldn't. I just thought of this song, which isn't really very me but I thought it explained everything." Rachel explained.

_You're on the phone with your girlfriend, She's upset  
She's going off about something that you said  
She doesn't get your humour like I do_

I'm in the room, its a typical Tuesday night  
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like  
And she'll never know your story like I do

But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts  
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming bout the day when you wake up and find  
That what you're lookin' for has been here the whole time

If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along so why can't you see?  
You belong with me  
You belong with me

Walkin' the streets with you in your worn out jeans  
I cant help thinking this is how it ought to be  
Laughing on the park bench thinkin' to myself  
Hey isn't this easy?

And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town  
I haven't seen it in awhile, since she brought you down  
You say you find I know you better than that  
Hey, Whatcha doing with a girl like that?

She wears high heels, I wear sneakers  
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming bout the day when you wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time

If you could see that I'm the one who understands you  
Been here all along so why can't you see?  
You belong with me

Standin' by, waiting at your back door  
All this time how could you not know that?  
You belong with me  
You belong with me

Oh I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night  
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry  
I know your favourite songs and you tell me about your dreams  
I think I know where you belong. I think I know it's with me.

Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?  
Been here all along so why can't you see?  
You belong with me

Standing by or waiting at your back door  
All this time how could you not know that  
You belong with me  
You belong with me

Have you ever thought just maybe  
You belong with me  
You belong with me

"That was good guys. But Rachel, when you're singing a song not usually in your genre, try not to be so uptight! You've gotta be free with lyrics to make them believable." Mr. Schue told her.

"I-I-I understand." Rachel stammered in shock. Puck looked at her and blushed. Rachel spluttered and went red too before taking a seat next to Kurt.

_This Providence – I think you're wonderful_

_Taylor Swift – You belong with me_


	5. Chapter 5

**Bit of a shorter chapter here, enjoy anyhow!**

**I don't own Glee!**

**Please R&R! (I beg of you to review, my dear readers)**

The sun shone brightly as the last few days of the blistering summer rolled past. The mornings were just as bright as they always were. Quinn was asleep at the foot of Rachel's bed. Mercedes was sprawled across a few pillows on the floor. Tina, Brittany and Santana were all squashed on a mattress. Rachel was standing looking at her five friends sleep soundly in her room. She looked at her alarm clock. They had three hours until they were meeting the boys at the pool. She went down stairs and put six bowls out on the dining room table.

"Morning, Berry-Boo." Her dad said kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"Morning, Dad. Morning, Daddy." She said, kissing her dads on the cheek.

"We're going off to buy new linen for the spare room. There's some money on the side, have fun at the pool." Her daddy told her. They both left. As they did Rachel could hear footsteps plodding down the stairs.

"What time did we go to sleep?" Quinn asked with a yawn as she collapsed into her friend's arm.

"I think it was about half four." Rachel said, yawning also.

"Jeez. What's for breakfast? I'm starving. The last thing I ate was…"

"A whole tub of Ben & Jerry's. You challenge me and Tina to eat a whole tub too but I gave up after about two spoonfuls and Tina got half way through. You finished the whole tub in 21 minutes and then did move for two hours." Rachel laughed.

"Dear god. I now I've got to go swimming? Do you have Froot Loops?" Quinn asked. Rachel nodded.

"They are like all time favourite food." She said ecstatically. She poured her and Quinn and bowl. The other's came down, all just as sleepily as Quinn had.

"Froot Loops? Are we twelve?" Mercedes joked kindly.

"Yes, Mercedes, I am." Quinn said taking a massive spoonful and shovelling it into her mouth.

"I have strawberry or chocolate pop tarts if you want them instead." Rachel told them.

"Hell no, girl, you offer froot loops, I'm eating froot loops!" Mercedes told her.

The girls waited anxiously outside the pool. They all had their curve-increasing-waist-slimming-clevage-boosting-utterly-fashionable swimsuits on under their summery clothes. Apart from Tina, who couldn't quite go all summery and went for a red studded mini skirt and long black socks instead. The boys suddenly appeared by piling out of Puck's truck. They all came trundling over. The girls watched in awe as the gaggle of topless, tanned and handsome boys strode towards them. Each girl felt like everything had gone into slow-motion and they were watching it all like Baywatch. Rachel felt a pang in her stomach as she watched Puck stride towards her (in her head slowly) with his beautifully defined torso and hunky muscular upper arms.

"Artie said he wasn't coming because he was visiting his grandparents. We kinda figured he was actually just kinda sad that he couldn't join in. I mean you should see him at glee club sometimes when we're all dancing. It's horrible." Finn said rather intelligently for a boy of his stupidity.

"I-i-i-I'll ring h-h-him later-r-r." Tina said.

"Wait a sec. Where's Kurt?" Santana asked.

"He refused to be seen in my truck and he had no money for gas to fuel his own car so he's walking and going to be an hour late as he needs to prep himself first." Puck told them. They all went inside; got changed quickly and met each other back on the decking surrounding the pool.

The boys were already in the pool. The girls sauntered over to some sun loungers and rolled their towels out neatly and carefully. Rachel pulled off her patterned caftan. Puck looked wistfully over at her. He couldn't resist her. Instead of diving into the pools like the boys had, the girls just lay there. Sunbathing. Puck was not having that, and with the interpretation of elaborate hand movements and a lot of mime, nor were any of the others. They all jumped out the pool and crept over to where the girls were lying. Puck held up three fingers, he counted each one down slowly. Then they all grabbed a girl each and jumped into the pool with them. They were all screaming and spluttering.

"MY HAIR!" Quinn screamed. Finn held her tight as she writhed in his grasp. Rachel was wrapped around Puck's body, clinging to him tightly.

"You alright Rachel?" He asked, not complaining in anyway about have a beautiful, barely clothed girl wrapped around him.

"Yeah. This water's just… really cold!" She said shivering.

"You'll warm up. You ready?" He asked.

"Ready? Ready for what?" She said alarmed. Puck smiled at her before gulping the air and pulling them both underwater. They bobbed up quickly.

"I actually I hate you! This water is freezing!" Rachel cried, pushing away from Puck fiercely.

"Ahh, is it, diddums? I hadn't noticed." Puck said sarcastically. He swam over to the steps and got out of the pool. Rachel followed him. Puck grabbed his towel and dried himself. He chucked it down and went over to Rachel's sun lounger. He picked up her gold star and personally embroidered towel grabbed her with it. He wrapped her in it carefully and rubbed her arms for warmth. He then span Rachel around so she was facing him and smiled.

"I'm c-c-cold." Rachel shivered.

"Come here then." Puck replied giving her a huge hug. He glanced over Rachel's shoulder at the others. They were all acting ridiculous. They were trying to be all inconspicuous and as if they weren't staring at Puck and Rachel. But it was very obvious that they were.

"Quinn, you never whistle. And the fact you are makes you just a little bit see-through." Rachel said. She couldn't even see Quinn but she knew it was her.

"I don't know what you're insinuating, Rachel Berry!" Quinn laughed. Puck let go of Rachel and just stood and smiled at her for a while. She was still shivering even though she had been wrapped in a huge towel and the heat was blistering. Puck went to kiss her but she drew away.

"You're lack of sexual control is a grave issue, Noah. I can possible stand it when we are alone together but right now, as much as your luscious body image turns me on, I am Rachel berry and I need clarification on these matters and if I'm not your girlfriend then I refuse to make out with you in a public place. I apologise for the inconvenience but it is my way and I refuse to change that because of you." Rachel stated. Puck knew he was supposed to be annoyed but he couldn't be at a girl like Rachel.

"Alright, darlin', speak to ya soon." He replied in a mock (and terrible) cockney British accent. He tapped Rachel on the chin with his bent forefinger and dived back into the pool. She went over the sun loungers where Quinn and the other girls were shivering.

"So, when are you going to go out with Puck?" Mercedes asked.

"Never. I hate him." Rachel replied taking a sip from her fruit smoothie.

"Pah, sure. You just hate to loooove him." Quinn cooed pinching Rachel's cheeks annoyingly.

"Shuppup Quinn or I will hit you." She said. Quinn smiled and backed off.

"You totally want him inside of you." Quinn muttered. Rachel spat all her smoothie everywhere.

"QUINN! Don't speak like that in public like, ever again. Or anywhere ever again. It was just weird." Rachel said. Quinn laughed

"Oh come on, Rach! I'm the little celibacy queen anymore! I had a freaking baby. Obviously I gave it up for adoption but still. You have to have sex to have a baby Rachel. You do know what sex is right? It's were babies come from." Quinn laughed belittlingly. She wasn't being mean; she was just teasing her best friend for a bit of fun.

"Oh shut it Quinn I'm not 8. Of course I know where 'babies come from'!" Rachel said in a funny mimicking voice. Quinn howled with laughter.

"It's not funny, Quinn!" Rachel said trying hard to hold in laugh. Quinn writhed in fits of giggles and nodded, trying desperately to catch her breath and talk.

"What you guys laughing about?" Puck said as he flounced over to the girls. Rachel just erupted into a giant cackle. Mercedes, Santana and Brittany followed suit. Puck sat on the end of Rachel's seat concerned for the girls' mental health.

After the girls had settled their laughs, they sat and sunbathed silently.

"Hey, Quinn." Rachel said with a hint of a giggle.

"Yeah." Quinn replied bluntly.

"Where do babies come from?" And with that, the girls exploded once more.

"Anybody fancy going to the diner? I dunno about you guys but I'm starving." Finn said. They were all in the parking lot.

"Yeah I think I'm gunna pass out!" Puck said. The boys all clambered into Puck's truck whereas the girls wondered off towards Quinn's mini and Rachel's Golf. Just as the drove away from the pool, Kurt appeared at the entrance.

"Where are you guys going?" Kurt said angrily.

"To the diner. We've at the pool three hours, Kurt. We're all starving and figured you weren't gunna turn up so we left. We called you like eight times, where've you been?" Matt asked as he dangled out the back window.

"Well, seen as I wouldn't be seen dead in this car, and it's an hour walk and I had to have preparation time I have only just managed to get here! And plus my dad has taken my phone away because I redecorated his bedroom with a Royal Blue light matt paint without his permission." Kurt told them, a vein pulsating slowly on his temple.

"Hey, Kurt, get in!" Rachel yelled from out of her window. He flounced over to the silver Golf and got inside moodily.

"We need a table for eleven please." Santana asked the hostess.

"Will two booths suit? Our only normal table was booked in advanced." She told them.

"Sure." Santana said. They all looked at each other.

"Howabouts Quinn, Rachel, Puck, Finn, Me and Matt on that table. And Tina, Mercedes, Mike, Brittany and Kurt on that one?" Santana said.

"So the glee couples on one table and the others on the other?" Mercedes sniggered.

"No! Me and Puck aren't a couple. And Finn and Quinn are only got together like a few days ago." Rachel protested.

"Whatever, sweet cheeks." Mike smiled. The all took their places on the tables. The meal was delicious and exactly what everyone needed.

"Can we get some pancakes a la mode to share about?" Matt asked. The waitress nodded. Rachel and the other girls escaped to the girls' bathroom.

"Oh dear god, look at my hair! See this is why I hate pools. I looked like someone's shoved my head in a human tumble dryer. Frizz-ee!" Quinn said patting her whey wood hair down urgently.

"All the chemicals in the pool dry my skin out hardcore." Rachel moaned. All the other girls nodded in agreement.

"How's you and Puck's first date?" Santana asked with a sneaky smile.

"I don't like dates. They're really wrinkly and brown." Brittany said. The girls looked at her. Mercedes gave her a quizzical frown at her blonde friend. Brittany shrugged and continued to primp herself.

"It's not a date. You guys are here. And it's not a date. Because I don't like him in that way. So it's not a date." Rachel said in defiance.

"I prefer prunes." Brittany mumbled.

"Whatever, Britt, but Rach, yes it's a date." Santana gleamed leaving the bathroom with Quinn linked firmly on her arm.

"Hey. You want some pancake?" Puck said, offering Rachel a forkful of warm pancake. Rachel let him feed her the soft, fluffy, succulent dessert. It was heavenly. Puck leaned over and whispered in Rachel's ear.

"Do you want to come by my house afterwards and catch a movie?" He asked.

"If that's innuendo similar to 'come back for coffee', definitely not." Rachel said with a wide-eyed startled and disgusted look. Puck looked equally as horrified.

"No, Rachel. I meant actually watch a movie. You know like Grease or something. I know you like musicals." He clarified. Rachel took a sigh of relief.

"Maybe not Grease." She said. It only reminded her of how much she used to want Finn and how badly he had treated her. He always used to flirt outrageously with her and then ignore her for Quinn. Once Quinn told him the truth about the baby, he went out with Rachel. But dumped her because we was embarrassed. Quinn had had the baby six months ago. She was heartbroken to give her beautiful daughter up for adoption but she knew it was the right thing to do. As much as Puck had wanted to be a father, he knew that his daughter would have a much better life with another family. Quinn's family had kicked her out when they found out she was pregnant but once they realised that their daughter had done the right thing and been a charitable Christian to those in need, they took her back. It was hard at first, but she was happy to be at home with her family. Puck had been really upset for a long time about the baby. He'd even tried to work on a relationship with Quinn. But it was ovious after a few weeks, she was still desperately in love with Finn. Finn wouldn't have any of it. She'd broken his heart. He'd only forgiven her a few weeks ago and asked Quinn out only a matter of days ago.

"Oh right sure." Puck said, disheartened by the rejection. Rachel touched his upper arm.

"Come over for brunch tomorrow. You can meet my dads." Rachel offered instead of the Saturday nigh movie session that was guaranteed to get steamy.

"Meet your dads? Oh I dunno. I've never really done the whole 'meet the parents' thing with a girlfriend before." He said.

"Well, I'm not your girlfriend so it won't be like that, will it?" Rachel insinuated.

"Fine. I'll come. But don't worry, darling, you will be my girlfriend." Puck said. Rachel's heart fluttered. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine Puck saying that. She blushed subtly and her cheeks flushed rose-tinted.

Puck dropped the boys back off at their houses before going home to bed. It'd been a long yet enjoyable day but for the first time in about a year, he went to bed at 9:30 on a Saturday night. He lay awake thinking about all the could-have-been moments with Rachel. Why was she so withdrawn? It was so obvious by now that they didn't hate each other. And what was that about, asking him for brunch? And she didn't even respond to the hint he'd made about her being his girlfriend. It was as though there was the end of the race just metres away but every time he took a bigger step, it just got longer. So much had changed the last few weeks. He'd gone from hating Rachel, to liking Rachel, to ignoring Rachel and now back to liking her. His head was messed up and he just wanted to have girl that he could call his own, plain and simple. He wished he'd fallen for someone else, someone easier. And that when it hit him. He sat bolt upright, gasping for air. He chucked his duvet off and pulled his knees up under his chin. Puck shook himself to stop panicking. It was so clear to him now. He'd fallen for her. Noah Puckerman was in love with Rachel Berry.

Rachel was sitting at her desk, planning her brunch rigorously. She needed to timetable everything to make it perfect. She definitely wanted pancakes after the moment at the diner. There was a knock at Rachel's bedroom door.

"Come in." She called. Her dad walked in.

"We chose a soft Cherry Egyptian thread for the spare room." He told her as he leant against her desk.

"Sounds lovely." Rachel said enthusiastically. She couldn't care less if she was honest but she couldn't say that.

"What's that then?" He asked, pointing at the paper.

"Oh, this boy from Glee Club is coming for brunch tomorrow; I'm just planning it now." She told him.

"Is this boy from Glee, a boyfriend?" Raymond hinted innocently. It made Rachel cringe.

"No dad, now please, just don't do that." She squirmed. Her dad got up and fluffed her hair with a laugh. Rachel pinned the 'Brunch to do list' to her notice board and went off to run a bath. She couldn't wait for Puck to come over. She sank into the deep bubble bath and relaxed into her thoughts. Her thoughts of Puck, and how much she loved him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Omg just watched the season finale! Shock! I hate Finn! But the weird thing is, I actually quite the Quinn and Puck thing! It's so cute!**

**Kept you waiting with this chapter, hope it's worth it!**

**I don't own glee!**

Puck awoke the next morning; he found it hard to shake the nervous, butterfly feeling inside of him. Nothing had changed. The only thing that had changed was that he'd admitted to being in love. This was not a badass thing to say, or even think. He tapped on his mom's bedroom door.

"Come in." She answered. She was sitting up in bed with a breakfast tray on her lap.

"Ahh, my only son. What do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?" She said with a smile. Puck sat on the end of his mom's bed. She leaned forward and touched her son's hand.

"Sweetie, what's up?" She asked caringly, massaging Puck's hand with hers. Puck shuffled up to the head of the bed. His mom put her arm around him.

"Have you ever been in love, ma?" Puck asked nervously.

"Why yes, Noah, of course I have. Is that's what's up? Do you think you're in love, honey?" His mom soothed.

"It's not that I think I am. I know I am. But I can't do anything because the girl I love isn't a girlfriend. So I don't want to tell her in case she doesn't say it back and in case I look like an idiot. I mean, I really like her. But I think it's more than that now. I don't know ma. She's not my girlfriend. What if I don't actually love her? But I'm telling myself I am? Jeez I never used to be like this at all." Puck complained.

"You're not going to be in love with this girl until you can't stand to be without her." His mom explained.

"What if sometimes, you can't stand to be WITH her?" He said.

"Ahh well, I don't know about that. Look, Noah, the one thing you've gotta learn about love is that you never stop learning." Puck shrugged and got up from the bed.

"I hate girls. So freaking confusing." He muttered as he left. His mom laughed to herself.

Rachel must have been preparing the brunch for about four hours. And Puck was coming over at 10. Her dads were watching her with funny little smiles. Every time they went even near the kitchen she would shout and shoo them to leave.

"Who exactly is coming for this 'brunch'? Because whoever it is, they better be coming soon because I am starving Rachel." Her dad asked.

"Yeah, Rachel, who is coming over?" Her daddy asked.

"Noah Puckerman, now can you please just look after these pancakes while I go and get changed. Oh goodness, he'll be here in half an hour and I'm still in my Pyjamas! Oh darn!" Rachel panicked. Her dads chuckled and went over to the stove. Rachel sprinted off towards her room.

Puck stood outside the front door of the rather royal looking front door. He was doing his nut inside. He had to cool, he had to be polite and he had to impress Rachel. How on earth was he going to manage all three? He knocked hesitantly at the door.

"Noah Puckerman, I presumed?" A tall, black, smart looking man said in a smiling tone.

"Y-y-yes **cough** sir. N-no-Noah Puckerman." Puck spluttered. He was so nervous he had to shove his hands in his pockets to stop showing that they were shaking.

"Is this the Noah then? I'm Stan and this is Raymond." Mr Berry said. He was a lot smaller than the other man. He had dark hair, like Rachel's. He was also white, so Puck figured that he was Rachel's biological father.

"Yeah. I'm Noah. Nice to meet you." Puck said with a smile. "Can I come in?" He asked. The men both nodded.

"Jeez Oh rice! What the freaking fajuju have I done there? ARGH! Why did you have to do this to yourself Rachel Berry? He invited you round for a nice movie night but you refused and though of some exotic freaking brunch. And now what have you done? He's probably minutes away and you're standing here looking like a complete lemon trying to flip some stupid pancake that seems to have become conjoined to the freaking frying pan! ARGH!" She screamed to herself in the kitchen.

"I don't think you look like a lemon..." Puck said, just make Rachel freak out. She stood biting her lip over the sink. She had her back to Puck.

"Please tell me you did not just hear me say all that crap?" She said.

"I came in on the word 'fajuju'…"

"Oh no! Noah, seriously have to ignore everything I have just said erase it from your memory forever." She said. She twirled around and looked at Puck. She put both her hand either side of his head.

"Repeat after me." Rachel said.

"What?" Puck laughed.

"I did not just hear…" Rachel began. She shook his head to each word.

"I did not just hear…" He repeated.

"Rachel Berry."

"Rachel Berry." He was laughed quite a lot.

"Scream like a maniac."

"Scream like a maniac."

"And will never repeat." Rachel was still making his head bob in time.

"And will never repeat."

"The word."

"The word." Puck had stopped laughing and was clinging to Rachel's waist.

"Fajuju." Rachel ended. Puck burst into laughter. He hugged Rachel very firmly; he swayed with her in his arms.

"Say it, Noah, or I won't feed you at all." Rachel threatened.

"Fine, fajuju." He said.

"Good boy." Rachel said with enormous amounts of sarcasm.

Puck managed to go the whole meal without saying a single sexual joke or even let slip to Rachel's parents that they previously didn't like each other.

"Thanks for coming over, Noah." Rachel said sweetly at the door.

"I had a lot of fun." He said, grabbing her hand.

"You know, I really like you Rach."

"In the 'I do want you in my room way' or in the 'I do want you in my room but not like that' way?" She asked innocently.

"Well… if we're going into the complexity of all this liking business. I suppose I like you, like this…" He kissed her. That was it. It wasn't a wishy-washy answer. It was just plain… kissing.

"You've got to stop doing that, Noah. I'm not your girlfriend." Rachel told him.

"Who else is?" He said as he strolled away. Her heart dropped. Why hadn't he just asked her? She's dropped enough hints. She turned around and slammed the door.

"Well that went well, Rachel." Her dad said kissing her lightly on the temple.

"No it didn't! It went horribly and I mucked everything up! It went terrible and I am never going to speak to him again." She stormed upstairs. Her dads looked at each other.

"It would have been so much easier if we'd had a boy." Stan said.

"I'll go." Raymond sighed. He trooped up the stairs and knocked on the white wooden door that was covered in gold stars. Rachel's 'thing' had always been gold stars and when her dads had brought her bumper pack of star stickers, she'd gone overboard on her bedroom door.

"GO AWAY!" She screamed, it was muffled by her pillow.

"No. Now stop being such a drama queen and tell us what has changed in the last two minutes that's made this brunch, terrible." He said patting her back. Rachel rolled over. He eyes were red and puffy.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter." She sniffed.

"What has gotten into you, Rach? You used to talk to me and your daddy all the time. What's happened?" He asked affectionately. Rachel wiped her eyes. She didn't want to tell them but she knew she had to.

"I can't tell you." She wept. Her dad got up and walked out. She tossed her head back and groaned. It was safe to say, she'd mucked everything up.

The glee room was silent. No one was in there apart from Rachel and Quinn. They weren't speaking. Well, Rachel wasn't speaking. To anyone.

"Rach, seriously, what's up? You haven't been this quiet since Jesse chucked eggs at you and then that was only for like twenty minutes. It's been like four days." Quinn asked. She got up and sat next to Rachel. Rachel shied away. She shrugged.

"Please talk. What did I do?"

"Nothing." Rachel muttered.

"Then why aren't you speaking to me?" Quinn asked. Rachel took a deep breathe as if she was about to say something. Instead she just sighed.

"Fine." Quinn snapped, moving back to her original seat the other side of the room.

"I'm going for a European look. I just brought lederhosen." Kurt announced as he sauntered in with all the other glee clubbers.

"Brave guy." Matt smirked.

"Well, I loved all of your partner songs! Did everyone have fun making them?" Mr Schue said as he pulled up a stall near the piano.

"Hell yes!" Puck said. He looked over at Rachel. Her head was sunken and she was twiddling her thumbs in her lap. Puck looked at Quinn. Quinn shrugged as if she already knew what Puck was about to say.

"Good! Does anyone have anything to perform?" Mr Schue asked. No one moved. Not even Rachel.

"Hey Rachel, not even you?" Rachel shook her head.

"She's not speaking to anyone and no one knows why." Quinn stated outright. Rachel didn't move.

"I just… don't have anything to say." She said quietly.

"Somebody get me Barbra Streisand CD, a giant tub of sorbet, hot chocolate and help me move her near the GODDAM PIANO!" Kurt screamed. Mike and Finn picked up Rachel's chair and moved it right next to the piano. She slid onto the piano stool elegantly.

"Kurt, this is a school, there is no sorbet." Artie said.

"And we only have the Wicked soundtrack." Mercedes said alarmed.

"That will have to do, we don't have much time!"

"Before what? I spontaneously combust?" Rachel whispered. Everyone stared at her.

"I don't like quiet Rachel. It's like Kurt in… something… normal." Finn said. The whole club nodded with wide eyes. Especially Kurt.

"Are you gunna tell anyone what's up?" Mr Schue asked. Rachel sipped at the hot chocolate. She shook her head.

"Cos there's nothing up." Rachel shrugged.

"I don't like this." Mike said.  
"Me neither." Quinn said.

"It's kinda sickening." Puck said in shock. Rachel looked away from him.

"Wait, wait. As a professor in body language, or predicted to be one, whatever just happened there was very negative." Kurt announced.

"I don't get it." Brittany said with a really confused, and kind of ill, look on her face.

"Rachel's angry with Puck." Kurt clarified. There was unison of 'ah!'s and 'oh I get it!'s.

"Huh? What? Why? What did I do?" Puck said in a defiant way.

"A-a-re you angr-r-r-y with P-p-puck?" Tina asked. Rachel looked away and played the keys of the piano effortlessly.

"I suggest we let them be." Kurt muttered. They all tried to ease themselves away slowly and quietly.

"Doing this… just makes it more obvious." Santana murmured.

"Yeah, it really does." Artie said, his wheels squeaking slightly.

"Ok, so think of some sort of ploy?" Mike muttered.

"Sure." Quinn whispered. "Oh look a giant… bird… in the hall!" She shouted obviously.

"They're so bad at being inconspicuous." Rachel laughed.

"I have no idea what that means but… yeah I know!" He laughed.

"You gunna tell me what's up then?" He said. He got up and shuffled up next to her on the piano stool. He put his hand round her waist. She was still playing with the keys. Rachel shook her head.

"Why not?" Puck asked.

"Because… I don't want to." She said simply.

"Ok… how about we talk about something else?"

"I don't want to talk about something else." She said. Rachel was being very difficult.

"You're really pushing me, Rach." The couple sat not talking for at a few of minutes. Rachel took her hands off her the piano and put it on Puck's knee.

"You really hurt me Noah." She said. Puck took his hand off from around her waist and placed on top of hers.

"I'm sorry. For whatever I did."

"You see that's the thing. How can you be sorry for something you don't know you did? You always act to so badass and guiltless. You're not! You're not a badass. You're an idiot who always…" The glee club walked in, right in the middle of Rachel's rant. She was standing, close to Puck's face. She had bright red cheeks with anger.

"OUT!" Rachel screamed, looking right at them. Her evil stare gave them all the fright of their lives.

"I guess we'll go check out that freaking giant bird again!" Finn said, backing out quickly from the room.

"Look Rach I'm sorry!"

"For what?" She yelled.

"For making you go all crazy mo-fo on my ass!" He snapped.

"Shut up! I can't even believe I thought for one minute you'd changed. You haven't changed! You're still the stupid ignorant pig you always were!" Rachel screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"And I can't believe I ever thought you were actually normal! You still just an attention seeking bitch who nobody likes! That's right, nobody likes you! In fact, most people in out year hate you! And no, I'm not making that up! They ALL HATE you, Rachel! All of…" A sharp slapping sound echoed through the room. Puck grabbed his reddening cheek. Rachel's hand was tingling. She turned on her heels and ran out of the choir room, balling her eyes out. Quinn ran after her.

"Rachel! Rachel, stop!" She shouted after her.

"Just go back to Glee! I'm fine." Rachel ran away.

Quinn returned to the glee club. She walked in to see Puck sitting on the floor with an ice pack placed on his cheek. Quinn smirked and then realised she was suppose to be angry at him.

"An ice pack? Wow, that's badass, Puckerman." Quinn said cattily.

"Shut up, Quinn. I bit the inside of my cheek too." He said covering it up. He spat some blood into a tissue and disposed of it in a waste paper bin. The room was filled with awkwardness.

"Are you gunna tell us what the hell just happened or are we just gunna sit here and think of a good rumour?" Finn laughed. Puck gave him the stink eye and spat into another tissue.

"I'm thinking we tell everyone the giant bird swooped in and attacked them both." Artie laughed. Puck scoffed. They sat in silence for a while. Mr Schue flicked through some sheet music.

"So… what did you do?" Santana asked after while. Puck shrugged.

"I dunno. She shouted. I shouted. I shouted a lot. She slapped me. It hurt." He explained.

"Guys, I'm sorry but I think its best you all go home. And Puck, sort it out with Rachel. We can't have a broken up glee club this close to Regionals." Mr Schue explained. The all agreed and left.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok so I left you on a bit of a cliff hanger but I hope you like this short and sweet chapter! **

**Puck's got a bit of a potty mouth so, you have been warned!**

**I don't own glee or the songs used in this piece!**

**Oh and please review! Much love to my favourite fan, you know who you are! **

A note went round saying there was an emergency glee meeting afterschool on Thursday. Puck was dreading it. So was Rachel. She'd gone back to giving Puck evil glances and barely ever speaking to him.

"Mr Schue, if you don't mind, I'd like to take this meeting. It's obvious as to what you're going to say." Quinn said; standing up, centre stage of the choir room. Mr Schue nodded.

"Before you do, I want to perform something." Puck said suddenly. Quinn glared at him.

"Fine." Puck grabbed his guitar. He looked over at the band club guys and nodded.

"Just how we practised." He nodded. The music played harshly.

_Weep for yourself, my man,  
you'll never be what is in your heart  
weep little lion man,  
you're not as brave as you were at the start  
rate yourself and rake yourself,  
take all the courage you have left  
wasted on fixing all the problems  
that you made in your own head_

but it was not your fault but mine  
and it was your heart on the line  
I really fucked it up this time  
didn't I, my dear?  
didn't I, my...

tremble for yourself, my man,  
you know that you have seen this all before  
tremble little lion man,  
you'll never settle for any of your scores  
your grace is wasted in your face,  
your boldness stands alone among the wreck  
learn from your mother or else spend your days biting your own neck

but it was not your fault but mine  
and it was your heart on the line  
I really fucked it up this time  
didn't I, my dear?

But it was not your fault but mine  
and it was your heart on the line  
I really fucked it up this time  
didn't I, my dear?  
Didn't I, my dear?

But it was not your fault but mine  
and it was your heart on the line  
I really fucked it up this time  
didn't I, my dear?

But it was not your fault but mine  
and it was your heart on the line  
I really fucked it up this time  
didn't I, my dear?  
Didn't I, my dear?

Puck took his guitar off and when back and sat down. The whole Glee club stood up and clapped. All apart from Rachel, who sat with her arm crossed and with a huge scowl on her face. Everyone could tell she was finding it hard.

"Do any of you have anything to say to that?" Mr. Schue asked. Everyone looked at Rachel.

"Nope." She said with a sigh, picking at her nails. Puck put his head in his hands and screamed a little. Quinn went back to the front of the classroom.

"We have serious teamwork issues. Rachel, Puck, sort it out before regionals. Either get it on, or get out. That's all."

"Quinn! You're supposed to be my friend! Oh wait, according to Puck, I don't have any and everyone hates me." Rachel corrected herself snapping her fingers.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean it!" Puck said defensively.

"Oh that's ok then. As long as you're 'sorry' I suppose it doesn't matter. Hang on; do you know what you're sorry for this time? Or are you just saying it like you were before?" Rachel snapped back.

"I'm sorry for… for…for…" He stammered.

"For what, Puck, for what?" Rachel screamed.

"For breaking your fricking heart by not asking you to be my girlfriend!" He screamed. Rachel looked like someone had slapped her round the back and winded her. None of the glee clubbers moved.

"I was too nervous, ok? I was scared you were gunna say no. Because…" Puck got up and went over to the startle-eyed and stunned Rachel. Everyone gathered round.

"Do you reckon we should say the giant bird thing again?" Finn murmured. Quinn hit him hard in the chest. Puck took Rachel's hand and sunk to his knees.

"Oh my God he's gunna propose!" Kurt said.

"I'm not gunna propose!" Puck said suddenly.

"Oh thank God." Rachel took a sigh of relief.

"Jeez get on with it! Because of what? Why were you nervous?" Quinn jumped up and down excitedly. Puck smiled.

"Because, Rachel… oh jeez didn't think it was gunna be this hard… because I love you." He said. Squeals and screams swam around the room. Rachel still sat in shock.

"You know now would be a good time to say something, Rach." Puck smiled.

"Er…um…"

"Oh shit you don't love me." Puck said spinning away. He hit himself in the head.

"What? No! No, no, no, no, no, no!" Rachel stammered, finally coming out of her trance. Puck looked back at her. Rachel went back to her bewildered state of shock.

"Rachel, seriously, just tell the boy you love him and go make out in a closet somewhere." Quinn laughed. Rachel smiled.

"Alright, alright, fine!" She giggled. She got up and walked over to where Puck was sitting. She scooted up right close next to him. Most of the glee club got up and moved round so they could see better.

"Noah Puckerman… I love you too." Rachel said sweetly.

"You gunna be my girlfriend then or are we just gunna keep this casual? Cos I'm fine with casual." Puck joked. Rachel jabbed him in the ribs.

"I suppose so." Rachel laughed in a low tone. The sat together, just cuddling.

"Oi! Puck! Kiss her so we can complete this fairytale love story and go catch a slushy before last period!" Mercedes said in a loud whisper.

"What?" Puck said, he hadn't heard a word.

"Jeez, I'll do it shall I?" and with that, Rachel kissed Puck. There were a few woops and cheers from the glee clubbers. Puck could feel Rachel smiling as they kisses. He could on return the favor.

"Stop smiling!" Rachel said as they broke apart.

"You started it!" Puck bickered back. The couple rose and walked hand in hand to the lesson they both now appreciated greatly, biology.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's the next chapter for you!**

**I don't own Glee!**

**Please keep reading and reviewing!**

Rachel lay lazily on the sofa. She had a large bowl of salt popcorn balancing on her stomach and was still in her pajamas even though it was well past lunch time. She flicked on the TV and engrossed herself in her _Sound of Music _DVD. Just as she'd settled herself and managed to belt out the chorus to 'the hills are alive', there was a knock at the door. She debated in her mind whether she could be bothered to get up and answer it. When the tapping persisted she finally heaved herself up and walked slowly, dragging her feet heavily, over to the front door. She looked at the mirror in the hall. She looked terrible. She had no make-up on, ridiculously old PJs on and her hair looked like she hadn't brushed it in a few weeks, if not months. She pulled the door open.

"Looking mighty fine, honey bun." Puck teased with a smile.

"Shut up, dingus head." She laughed turning away and going back to the sofa.

"So, what we watching?" He asked. He lifted her legs and took a seat before placing her feet onto his lap.

"_Sound of music_." She mumbled, stuffing popcorn into her yawning mouth. Puck let out a groan.

"What was that for?" Rachel asked, confused by her boyfriend's response. She guessed he wasn't a _sound of music_ fan.

"Ahh nothing. I just hate this film." He whined. Rachel threw an uncooked kernel at his head.

"Ow!" He said, flinching away from the handfuls of popcorn that was coming his way. He flicked each piece but she still aimed perfectly. Puck got up and moved the bowl off of Rachel's lap. He dived on top of her.

"Get off! Get off!" She laughed. Puck started tickling her sides. She squirmed uncomfortably. They were both laughing and giggling crazily. With a large thud, they both came crashing off of the sofa straight onto the hardwood flooring. They stopped laughing and instead writhed in pain.

"That really hurt. You stupid boy." Rachel said rubbing her back.

"You loved it, bird's nest head." He smiled. Rachel launched herself at him but didn't kiss him. Instead they just rubbed noses and smiled at each other.

"Eskimo kisses." Rachel whispered in a funny voice. Puck chortled.

"You're crazy."

"You noticed." She mumbled.

"Here come the Puckleberry." Quinn snickered as Puck and Rachel walked into the choir room, engrossed in some trivial debate.

"Puckleberry?" Puck asked as he sat down. Quinn flushed; she hadn't realized he'd heard.

"Yeah. You know Puck and Berry. Puckleberry. You guys." She mumbled, very embarrassed by the whole situation.

"WE HAVE A COUPLE NAME?" Rachel exclaimed. Quinn nodded.

"That's so cool!" She said.

"No it's not. It's lame. Though if we had kids they'd totally be called Puckleberrians. Which would be amazing. Not that we're having kids. Or sex. Yet. " He bluffed. He and Quinn had gone matching shades of maroon. Badass Puck didn't think about those things.

"And we could have loads of kids! Like the Von Trapps!" Rachel said.

"Seriously, we should not have watched that film at the weekend. You do not know how annoying it is hearing you go 'Doe a dear' every five minutes." Puck moaned.

"But I thought you liked my singing voice…" Rachel uttered.

"Oh I do, but as angelic as it is, its fricking annoying at times." He said. Rachel sighed and muttered something about being jealous.

"Regionals are a matter of weeks away guys! Are you getting excited yet?" Mr. Shuester said. The glee club all said "Yes." And smiled.

"I'm not." Puck complained.

"Oh jeez, Noah, what crawled up your ass and died?" Rachel said mimicking his voice.

"Oh ha ha ha how very funny. You better be goddamn thankful we ever had that conversation or we would never have gotten together!" Rachel shrugged and nuzzled herself closer to him. He put his arm around her shoulders and smiled.

"Why are you not excited?" Mr. Schue asked.

"Because we up against Vocal Adrenalin. I'm sorry to like put a downer on this whole thing but we are well and truly screwed." He said poignantly.

"No we're not, Noah Puckerman! How dear you speak like that! You are so not a team player!" Rachel yelled, shooting herself away from him.

"He's got a point though, Rach. I mean come on, they've got Jesse the triple threat extraordinaire and we've got Finn, the double left footed baritenor who says 'That's what she said' every time Mr. Shuester says 'Push yourself harder'" Quinn said. Puck and Finn grinned.

"Sometimes, that _is_ what she says." Finn said trying to back himself up. Puck got up and gave him a high five.

"Seriously, you guys are so immature." Mercedes sighed.

"Immature, or just plain hilarious?" Puck asked.

"Immature." The girls said in unison.

"Right, whatever. I'll make sure I don't say that again." Mr. Schue said, going bright red. "Just keep in mind that it's a competition and we've got just as much a chance as the other groups. I want you all to pick a song bring it in, shove it in the lucky dip hat and that song will be put through to regionals as well as the songs we've already picked."

The glee club dispersed into little groups. Finn and Puck just sat and made stupid jokes. Quinn and Rachel found themselves getting very annoyed at them both.

"Hey, Rach, can have a sip of your water?" Puck asked innocently. Rachel passed him the bottle and continued flicking through the many pieces of sheet music that were spread around her a Quinn. Puck took the cap off the bottle and splashed it on Rachel's arm.

"Puck! What the hell are you doing? I'm trying to work, seriously!" She slapped Puck's leg as she was sitting on the floor and he was still on a chair.

"Oh for goodness sake! You got me all wet!" She whined.

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Finn and Puck both said.

"You have to give them something." Rachel muttered to Quinn.

"Seriously, you are imbeciles." Quinn told them. They ignored her and carried on laughing madly.

Rachel arrived home to see her Dads flicking through 'New Home' magazines.

"I down right refuse to move house. I refuse. I am not moving from this house and I don't care how much you try and change my mind!" Rachel said, storming in angrily.

"Someone's angst-y. Trouble with Noah?" Her dad asked.

"What? No. Nothing's wrong with Noah and I, why would immediately jump to that conclusion?" She asked.

"I don't know. I just did. Now why are you not leaving this house?" He said.

"Because you gunna make us move! I don't want to move!" Rachel slammed her foot down and chucked her book bag in the corner.

"Jeez you are angst-y. It's nothing definite. And it's nothing outside of Lima. So just calm it down." Her daddy laughed. Rachel turned away sharply.

"I'm not going lie, she does worry me sometimes." Her dad muttered as he opened another magazine. Before they knew she had scuttled back over to them with a giant binder and a variety of colored pens.

"So when, where, how and why are we moving?" Rachel complained in a voice full of distress.

"Whoa, Rach, nothing's definite!" Raymond repeated.

"I know, I know! But I need to take notes so that when I write my memoirs I can have an almost direct account of how I was almost dragged away from my childhood home." Rachel said, point blank.

"Alright fine. Well, we were just thinking that somewhere more spacious would be nice. We've seen one a few blocks away that looks suitable." Rachel's dad said formally. She scribbled down word for word what he'd written.

"Sounds fabulous but I still don't want to move." She snapped her binder shut forcibly and trooped off to her room.

"She's getting more of a diva each day." Raymond sighed.

"Nah, she's just lovesick."

Rachel sat at her desk doodling over her homework sheets. She couldn't concentrate while the thought of a new home span in her brain. Her phone jingled.

"Hello." She answered wearily. She'd expect it to be Quinn. Quinn always rang her, about the most pointless of things.

"Hi." A deep voice echoed. Not Quinn, Rachel thought. Not Quinn even when she put on her terminator voice. It was Puck, almost definitely.

"I can't concentrate on my homework, Noah, and you ringing me isn't helping this dire situation."

"I'd hardly called flunking your homework 'dire'. For me it's a daily occurrence." Puck told her.

"And that's also why detentions are also a daily occurrence for you, Noah. You should really do it. You'll regret it when you can't afford to ring me and our relationship crumbles due to a lack of communication." Rachel got up from her chair by her desk and collapsed on her bed.

"Whatever, babe. You sound like my mom, moaning about homework like that. She's always going on about it." Puck grumbled.

"Well, I could always help you. I mean, it would get me in the good books with your mom and it would get you in the good books with me."

"Rachel, you're always in the good books with my mom, you're Jewish. And no, you're not helping me with my homework." Puck felt himself get embarrassed. He wasn't good with schoolwork. He wasn't good at much but he didn't want his new, stunning, girlfriend to find that out.

"Yes I am, now I'll be over after school tomorrow and I'll bring my large variety of flash cards and studying techniques. Now I figured that Math, Spanish and general science would be a good place to start."

"Eurgh, can't we just make out?" Puck complained.

"No, you need to get this work done, Noah."

"Why couldn't I have a normal girlfriend?" Puck mumbled.

"Because someone has to fall in love with the crazy ones and that someone was you." Rachel sniggered.

"This is true. I gotta go, Becky's moaning about something." Puck sighed; Becky was standing at his door and making hand movements about trying to get to sleep.

"Oh, ok. See you tomorrow."

"You know I love you, right?"

"I had a notion." Rachel giggled. She got back to her homework at her desk. Her phone jingled again.

"I AM THE TERMINATOR." Quinn ridiculously bad terminator voice yelled down the phone. Rachel was in hysterics.

"I think I just gave myself a throat infection." Quinn cackled.

"I think I just gave myself a hernia!" Rachel said in a breathless, laughed-out voice.

**I didn't use any songs in this piece but in the previous chapter, the song Puck was singing was called 'Little Lion Man' by Mumford and Sons. I don't own!**

**I didn't like this chapter, it felt like a filler, sorry if I disappointed!**

**Read and Review anyways! **


	9. Chapter 9

**I wrote this chapter in a day and I think it's better than the previous one, which I did not like. I promise you that something big is gunna happen soon****, and not just in the Regionals chapter!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, alerts and favourites! **

**Please keep reading and reviewing!**

**I don't own Glee or the song mentioned in the chapter!**

Rachel knocked on the door to the house Puckerman anxiously. She was nervous; she'd been to the house plenty of times before. But this time she was coming to house as Puck's actual girlfriend. Becky answered the door.

"Oh it's you! HI!" She said ecstatically. "Puck hasn't stopped speaking about you. Nor has my mom. She's so excited about you two as a couple. I reckon if you get married she'll have a heart attack at the wedding." Becky spoke almost as quickly as Rachel did. Luckily, because of this, she was well versed in super-speedy vocals.

"Give it a rest Becky." Puck said, pushing his little sister out of the way. Rachel walked in, she'd brought a long a backpack full of study guides.

"Dear God." She dropped the bag onto the kitchen table, it made an echoing thud.

"Have you like captured some small child and shoved it in your backpack or something?" He asked.

"Don't be stupid now go get your books and we'll get cracking." Rachel grinned. Puck sloped off. He came back in with a handful of books that were falling apart. Rachel pulled a disgusted face and tried, and struggled, to read through some of his notes.

Four hours later, Rachel had made no difference to Puck's education. He just kept getting distracted with flicking rulers or catching pens or other pointless things.

"What do I have to make you learn, Noah?" Rachel said at the point of giving up.

"I dunno." Puck said unhelpfully. There was only one thing for it, bribery.

"If you recite those Spanish words, I'll give you a cookie." She tried.

"Rachel, I'm not eight or a dog. Bribing me with biscuits isn't going to work. I just can't do it."

"You just _won't _do it!" Rachel, frustrated, spoke. The sat in a brief silence.

"If you recite those Spanish words I'll make out with you for thirty seconds." Now Puck was interested.

"A minute?" He bargained.

"45 seconds or none at all." She snapped back. Sure enough, Puck recited all twenty words perfectly. He was just stubborn, not stupid.

"Well done." Rachel praised. She got up for her chair. A childish grin spread across Puck's face. Rachel set a timer on her phone and put it on the table.

"I love you, Rachel." Puck said, locking his eyes with hers.

"I love you, Noah." Rachel replied. She pressed her lips against his.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to disturb you." Mrs. Puckerman flustered as she walked into the kitchen only to see her son kissing his new girlfriend passionately.

"Oh that's ok, Mrs. Puckerman, I was just bribing your son into actually doing his homework. It turns out sexual gestures are the only things that get Noah motivated enough to learn his Spanish verbs." Rachel told her out rightly. Noah sat their awkwardly with Rachel on his lap. You don't say things like that to moms. You just don't. The buzzer on her phone jingled off.

"That was 45 seconds." Rachel got up and went back to her other seat.

"But… but my mom walk in about twenty seconds in! That's not fair!" Noah complained. Mrs. Puckerman walked over to Rachel with her arms wide open. Rachel hugged the woman nervously.

"You Rachel are a God Send. You're the only one who can get Noah to do anything." She said, getting a little over-emotional with it all.

"Alright mom, there's no need to cry. It's only fricking Spanish." Puck sank back in his chair.

"Well, he wouldn't accept cookies." Rachel was dazed by the whole situation. She wasn't used to moms as it was, but boyfriend's moms crying in her arms? They were a whole new ball game.

Rachel spotted Puck's spiky Mohawk from the huge busy crowd easily. She locked her car and went over to him. He was chatting with some of his mates from the football team.

"Hey." She said, sweetly enough. She clung to his elbow, slowly moving her hand downwards so it linked with his. He let go over her hand and tucked it in the pocket of his jacket. Rachel felt a little dejected but didn't say anything.

"Oh, morning, Rach." Puck said plainly. It was if he was talking to one of his football friends. Rachel told herself it was just her mind and that he was just a little sleepy or something.

"I-I-I've gotta shoot off to practice with the other guys, I'll see you at glee club or something." Puck grinned. Rachel stood there, looking up at her towering boyfriend, waiting for him to plant a kiss on her lips, or at the very least, her cheek. Puck was still coming to terms with the fact that he was in love with Rachel Berry and that she was now his girlfriend. He didn't care when they were alone. Most of the time he just wanted to kiss her and tell her how much he loved her. But at school he'd try to get out of being with her. He knew it was a bad thing and that he shouldn't be ashamed of his girlfriend. But still, secretly, he was.

"Yeah, so I'll see you later." He tapped her shoulder as if she was just 'one-of-the-guys'. Puck felt like such an ass. Why couldn't he just man up and kiss his girlfriend at school. They all knew they were going out.

"Is that Rachel chick you're girlfriend? Cos jeez man, talk about the cold shoulder you gave her." Andrew, one of his team mates, said. Puck didn't reply.

"You gunna break up with her or something?" Andrew asked.

"What? No! Just, I dunno, didn't feel like kissing her, that's all." Puck grabbed his kit from his locker and caught up with Andrew, who was a few strides ahead of him.

"Oh right. Nah, I wouldn't either. She's not that pretty." Puck felt his blood boil. Even though he was kind of embarrassed to have Rachel as his girlfriend, she was still his girlfriend and he was going to be a good boyfriend, whether she was there to listen or not. Puck grabbed Andrew by his collar and pinned up against the lockers.

"No, you're right, man, she'd not pretty. She'd beautiful. Now, don't you EVER speak about my girlfriend like that again! You got it dude?" Andrew laughed.

"Sure. But I'm not scared of you, Puckerman. You're just a pathetic loser. You don't even have the guts to kiss you're girlfriend in public." Andrew pushed Puck away and walked off. Andrew was right, he was a pathetic loser.

"I hate the lucky dip hat. I can't think of a good song for regionals and it's driving me crazy." Rachel moaned as she turned the pages of the sheet music quickly.

"I'm in shock. Rachel Berry not being able to think of a song!" Quinn mocked. Rachel stuck out her tongue.

"I mean, why can't we just go with some of our other ideas? Ones we were gunna put forward for sectionals but didn't? My brains not on this. Argh! What is wrong with me, Quinn?" Rachel slammed the book shut and tucked her legs under her chin.

"Well, why don't you just put one of them in the lucky dip hat? It probably won't get chosen." Quinn wrote the name of a song on a piece of paper and shoved it in the hat.

"Because Mr. Schue said it had to be a new song. One that we hadn't done before. Oh I give up. Seriously, since the start of this year, I have not been concentrating on my musical education enough." Quinn shrugged.

"Maybe that's sort of a good thing. I mean, look what you've gained this year. You're still amazing at music and still the best in glee club. Just chilax."

"Chilax isn't even a word, Quinn Fabray. Sure, I've gained stuff, but what if I've lost my musical mojo?" Rachel started to fluster.

"Mojo's not a word, Rachel Berry. Stop feeling so sorry for yourself! It's one song, Rach! Just tell Mr. Schue you've got a lot on your mind and you're unable to think of anything." Rachel looked over at the other glee clubbers who were shoving slips of paper into an old battered top hat. She groaned and moved away from her so-called best friend.

"Drum roll please, Finn!" Mr. Schue announced. He shoved his hand into the top hat and swirled it around. He plucked out a piece of paper and smiled.

"Wow, well, good choice. The song we will be adding to the performing list for Regionals is…. Don't stop me now by Queen!" Everyone clapped. Matt jumped up and punch the air.

"My choice, guys!" He declared. Everyone smiled at him. Puck got up and went over to where Rachel was.

"Good choice, don't cha think?" Puck said.

"Yeah. What did you put in?" Rachel asked.

"I Think You're Wonderful, of course! Did you put in the Taylor Swift one you did?" Puck replied. Rachel lied and said yes. She felt her stomach tie in knots. She couldn't work out what was wrong. Why was she feeling all weird all of sudden? Why was she suddenly desperate to get away from Puck? Puck clasped her clammy hand.

"Can I ask you something?" Rachel said as they walked out of Glee Club hand in hand.

"Sure, fire away, babe." Puck replied.

"Why do you only ever act like my boyfriend at Glee Club? I mean you do when it's just us but, this morning, you didn't even want to hold my hand. Are you like, humiliated by me or something?" The last part came out in a whisper. Puck felt himself go inwardly cold. He stopped walking and turned to face Rachel.

"Look, we both know that this relationship's not gunna be easy. We're completely different. I'm just finding it hard to find a middle ground that's all. I love you, Rach, I just… I just don't know." Rachel lowered her head.

"Why's it so hard when you're with me? It wasn't hard when you were with Quinn or Santana." Rachel's voice began to crack. Puck pulled her closer.

"You're causing me far too much emotional upheaval, Noah." Rachel chuckled, still surrounded by his securing arms. Puck laughed a little too.

"I promise you, Rach, I will always be proud to call you my girlfriend from now on. And I'm sorry I made you feel like crap." The pair walked out of the school building, arm in arm.

"We really should not be doing this." Finn snickered. Puck agreed but they carried on anyway. They were routing around in Sue Sylvester's office for her megaphone.

"You know that, I know that, the whole world knows that we should not be doing this, but its not stopping us is it?" Puck told him. Finn nodded and grabbed the megaphone from the top of one the Cheerios many trophy cabinets.

"Ready?" Finn said, slapping his friend on the back. Puck felt like an idiot. He couldn't believe he was doing this but he knew that it was the right thing to do. He took a gulp of air and pressed the button down slowly.

"GOOD MORNING MCKINLEY. I HAVE A FEW WORDS TO SAY AND I WILL BE SAYING THEM UNTIL SOMEONE TELLS ME TO STOP." The noise blared. Students covered their ears and hurried away.

"I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT I DO IN FACT LOVE RACHEL BERRY AND I AM NOT ASHAMED TO SAY SO. THAT'S RIGHT, MCKINELY, YOU HEARD CORRECTLY. NOAH PUCKERMAN IS HERE STANDING WITH COACH SYLVESTER'S MEGAPHONE DECLARING HIS UNDYING LOVE TOWARDS RACHEL BERRY." Loads of people just stood and laughed. Puck started walking up and down the hallways, saying the same thing over again repeatedly. He was wearing an old 'I heart NY' t-shirt but he'd stuck 'RB' over the NY. He walked down the hall where he knew Rachel's locker was and just stood there, waiting for her.

"AND HERE SHE IS, THE VERY APPLE OF MY EYE, RACHEL BERRY! GOOD MORNING, SUNSHINE, HOW ARE YOU TODAY?" Rachel's face was red as she realized everyone was staring at her.

"Noah, what the hell are you doing?" She spat.

"WHAT AM I DOING? WELL I WAS JUST TELLING OUR FELLOW STUDENTS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU." Rachel's face went redder.

"That's lovely, but could you not do that some other day in some different way?" Rachel turned so she was looking inwards to her locker.

"WELL I KINDA MISSED VALENTINES DAY WITH YOU AND I COULDN'T THINK OF ANY OTHER WAY TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNEW THAT I LOVED YOU SO I SUPPOSE, NO. THIS WAS THE ONLY OPTION. I LOVE YOU RACHEL." Puck carried on. Rachel rammed her head inside her locker.

"You're an idiot and I hate you." Rachel said playfully.

"YOU'RE GORGEOUS AND I LOVE YOU." Puck felt a sharp, tight claw grab his shoulder.

"Give me my megaphone." Coach Sylvester insisted. Puck smirked and did as he was told.

"FIGGINS OFFICE, NOW!" The coach bellowed with the megaphone in Puck's ear. He shook a little as the piercing noise rippled through his eardrum. He walked towards the principal's office.

"So what's your punishment?" Mercedes asked as they sat around the gleek table at lunch.

"Nothing too bad, just gotta a few detentions here and there. Oh and I have to clean every trophy the Cheerios ever won with a toothbrush." Puck didn't think it was that bad. It was only a few trophies, nothing badass Puck and his mighty guns couldn't handle.

"Rachel's gunna flip." Artie informed him. Puck agreed and stole a carrot stick from Kurt's lunch sneakily. Rachel came sashaying over.

"You're an actual idiot, Puck." Rachel said it cruelly but you could tell she was fighting back a smile.

"Don't call me Puck. And what was I gunna do? I had to make my girl feel loved and I think I pretty much did that." He kissed her firmly on the cheek.

"M-m-Mr. Shuester told me th-th-that we have extra Glee practice tonight-t-t." Tina said suddenly.

"Glee is taking over my life, I swear." Artie opened a box of apple segments and crunched unenthusiastically.

"Yeah but think how cool we'll be once we've won regionals." Rachel piped up.

"For saying that, you just instantly made yourself uncool." Puck told her, stealing some of her sandwich. Rachel pulled a face and snatched the sandwich back.

"I know this was short notice, guys, but we really need to start rehearsing the numbers on our set list for Regionals. We only have a week. A week until Regionals. Just a week!" Mr. Schue proclaimed.

"Well, it's only rehearsing. We've got the set list sorted. Shouldn't we just concentrate on the chorography for Don't Stop Me Now? We haven't even started that song." Finn inquired. Mr. Schue shrugged.

"I don't know if we should do that song. We only have a week and we haven't even learnt the lyrics yet." Matt looked taken back.

"So you're ditching my song?" He looked angered.

"Unless you can think of some way choreographing the whole thing this weekend, then yes, I'm ditching the song."

"That's not fair! You said we'd choose a surprise song and that's the one that got chosen! I bet if it was Rachel's song then we'd be going ahead with it!" Santana argued.

"What the hell! Why me?" Rachel stood up from her chair and turned to the Latina.

"Oh come on, you and Finn are Mr. Shuester little protégés. If he'd picked either of your songs then we'd all have to the green light to perform it." Everyone looked at the bickering girls. Rachel was not one to get into a fight, unlike Santana, but she did not like being picked on.

"I'll have you know, Santana, that I didn't even put a song in the hat! So we can't possibly have used my song." Rachel slumped down in her seat.

"You told me you put that Taylor Swift song in." Puck quipped suddenly.

"Well I didn't ok." Rachel ushered quietly. If Puck had been the girl, and Rachel had been the boy, Puck would have totally been pissed about this. But he wasn't a girl and he really didn't care.

"Guys! Stop arguing! We just got over the whole Puck and Rachel arguing thing, I don't want a Rachel-Santana catfight emerging ok?" Mr. Schue settled the girls.

"That would be totally hot to watch." Finn hinted to Puck.

"Agreed." Puck slapped his friend's hand.

"Look, if it's such a big deal to you to do the Queen Song, we can practice at my house this weekend. My dads are away on business so I have an empty house." Rachel told them.

"Whoa, wait; surely I should be the first to know if my girlfriend has the house to herself all weekend." Puck smirked and high fived Finn. Rachel just tossed her hair in annoyance.

"I suggest you take up Rachel's offer. You don't need me there. If you can get this song right, we can at least place if not win at regionals." Mr. Schue instructed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ta-da! I loved the feedback from the last chapter! I hope you like this one! The one after this chapter is…. Dun dun dahhhhh Regionals! But this is the build up! Enjoy!**

**I don't own Glee or any of the songs!**

**Please Read and Review! I'd love some new reviewers!**

"And five, six, seven, eight! Left foot, Noah! Jazz hands sl-ow-ly… stop! Stop! Stop!" Rachel yelled. She'd been working on the dance chorography for their new number since it was settled they'd be practicing at her house. It was going well but Finn and Puck just seemed to mess about.

"Seriously, Finn, what the hell were you just doing? When I say step, turn, kick ball-change and slide, I do not expect you to just stand there and do the Macarena!" Finn laughed.

"But it's simple and easy!" He argued.

"YOU'RE SIMPLE AND EASY!" Rachel snapped. She put a sweaty shaking hand through her bangs and sighed.

"From the top, Artie, press play." The music came on; Rachel turned and watch the ten distorted teenagers try to grasp a simple dance routine with Artie.

"Finn you need to learn how to dance and sing at the same time, Mercedes, grinding my fireplace was not part of the dance and Noah, doing the Chandler Bing dance in the background is not funny and I will not stand for it." Everyone looked distinctly fed up with Rachel's yelling.

"It's not my fault I can't multi-task." Finn looked at Puck, who was still breaking it down like Chandler Bing, and gave him a 'Your girlfriend's a slave driver' look.

"No but it will be your fault if we don't place at regionals!" Rachel was get so angry.

"Rachel, you need to chilax."

"CHILAX IS NOT A FREAKING WORD, QUINN!" She screamed. Quinn stepped back, really quite concerned on her friend's mental health situation.

"Seen as you're about to explode, I think we should take a breather and grab some lunch or something." Matt said cautiously. Rachel flounced out of the living room into the kitchen and started cutting some bread savagely.

"I don't think she should be near knives right now." Mercedes whispered to Puck. He nodded.

"Hey, sweetie, why don't we just put the sharp object down and come and sit over here." Puck walked attentively towards the fuming Rachel. She cut another slice of bread, then another, then another and then another. The last one was ever so slightly wonky. It sent Rachel over the edge. She grabbed the loaf and threw so it hit the window. Puck ducked to the floor. The others ran out of the room.

"Jesus Christ Rach! Calm the frick down!" He launched himself at Rachel so she couldn't harm any other innocent bakery products.

"I just wanna win Regionals so bad! And no one's helping me by not doing the stupid routine the way I planned it! You've all been here three fricking hours and all we've got is you and Finn mucking about! We don't even know the word properly to the song! What are we gunna do? Mr. Schue was relying on me to get this all sorted and I can't fail, Noah. I don't do failing. I only do winning!" She told him as she knocked her head into his chest. He laughed a little. Kurt walked in.

"As a fellow diva, I can understand where you are coming from. But as a human being, I'm thinking you've OD on the crazy capsules and need to knock back some chill pills." Kurt said. Puck chuckled.

"I don't know what he's saying!" Rachel sobbed.

"He's saying chil… relax and just calm down." Puck interpreted.

The number was looking a lot better after Rachel had gotten over her diva fit and had agreed to let Kurt and the others help her. Finn was still struggling to move his feet and hit the right notes at the same time but Rachel just politely ignored him.

"Finn, honey, I can see that you're trying but maybe we should think of something a bit simpler for you." Rachel said in a sickly sweet way. Santana and Britney linked their arms with Finn's and courted him off to learn a different dance.

"Alright guys, how did this weekend go?" Mr. Schue asked as he handed out music to each glee member.

"Well it was awful to start with. And Rachel had a serious diva fit but after that it was pretty good. They had to teach Finn and different dance because he's like majorly special." Artie smiled. Finn grinned.

"Good to hear it! So now we've got our three numbers for Regionals, Don't Stop Believin', Don't Stop Me Now and One. I think we're really in with a chance now, guys!" Everyone nodded.

"Vocal Adrenalin is still gunna beat us." Everyone's happy moods plummeted with Puck's painfully truthful comment. Rachel and Quinn looked at each other, nodded and winked.

After practicing each number four times through, everyone was pretty whacked and agreed to call it quits. Quinn and Rachel managed to slip away before anyone noticed their absence.

"We really should not be doing this." Rachel said. Quinn fastened her seatbelt and reversed out of the parking lot.

"And? We probably shouldn't do a lot of things in life but we still do." They drove for about twenty minutes in silence before pulling up on the tarmac outside Carmel High School.

The managed to sneak inside unnoticed and silently find the auditorium. Loud music was blaring. Rachel and Quinn took a seat at the back of the balcony.

"Jesse St. James isn't half bad looking." Quinn swooned.

"Quinn! You have Finn! But I do agree, he is rather gorgeous." The pair brought out notepads and pens and started writing down every move the Show Choir was making.

"Was he a good kisser?" Rachel nodded crazily.

"Do you reckon we'd get arrested for doing this?" Quinn asked.

"I have no idea but shut up! What if they hear us?" 26 glitzy show choir members leaped their way onto the stage. The soft beginning of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' began to play.

"They're doing a Queen Song as well?" Rachel gasped. A door behind them clicked. Quinn's head span round. She couldn't see the people's faces but she knew they were men. The auditorium went silent. The girls held their breath just in case the slightest noise got them caught. Suddenly the familiar tune of Sweet Caroline began to sing from her phone. She dived to the floor and took the battery out of her phone.

"Whoever is up there should come down now before I get the security guards to come and find you with Albert!" A lady's voice screamed.

"Who's Albert?" Quinn mumbled. Rachel kicked her friend in the shoulder. They were both lying on the sticky floor in a hope they wouldn't get caught. Quinn peeped under the seats to see if she could see the men. They too had disappeared.

"What are you guys doing here?" Finn's voice said quietly. He and Puck were army crawling their way across the floor towards where the girls were.

"I could ask you the same question!" Rachel shot.

"We were spying."

"OMG same! High five!" Quinn said stupidly. She tapped Puck's palm lightly.

"Quinn, shut up!" Rachel muttered.

"Right that's it! Look we all know you're up there, get up or I will get Wally and Albert on you."

"What sort of names are Wally and Albert?" Finn laughed.

"Wally and Albert are trained police dogs! Given to us from the prison! They can smell show choir spies blood for four blocks away and are trained to KILL!" All four of them jumped up quickly. Shelby Corcoran looked up at them with a smirk.

"Only joking, Wally and Albert are the school's ferrets." She said spitefully. Finn shivered. Rachel looked behind her, Jesse St. James and a few other Vocal Adrenalin members were guarding the doors.

"I suggest you come with us." He said in a similarly spiteful tone his coach had just used. Jesse put his hand on Quinn's shoulder and guided her out of the auditorium. Rachel looked as her friend giggled idiotically over having Jesse's hand on her shoulder.

"Why would you do such a thing? You've not only let the school down, you've let glee club down and most of all, you've let yourselves down!" Mr. Schue screamed in Principal Figgins' office.

"That was so cheesy I actually saw milk fermenting in the air as he spoke." Puck cackled.

"This is a very serious matter. It could result in a universal disqualification of McKinley High's Glee Club from ever competing again!" Principal Figgins told them. Rachel bowed her head in shame.

"No. I don't want them disqualified. I want to see the look of disappointment on their faces when we take the first place trophy." Shelby Corcoran spat. Quinn gasped in disgust. Finn just looked awkward and Puck just laughed.

"It states here in the Show Choir rule book…" Coach Sylvester began.

"Oh give it a rest Sue! We know that what they did was wrong." Mr. Schue snapped.

"Don't take that tone with me William! Students in the room or not I will still take you by the neck and rub the excess product in your hair onto that ridiculously pointless glass door and have you write 'FAILURE' in it with your stupidly baby soft hands!" The coach grabbed his hand and started massaging them patronizingly.

"That's enough! Your punishment is detention for a week and this Saturday I will have you clean all the school buses by hand!" The principal declared.

"But Regionals is on Saturday!" Rachel burst out.

"Well I guess your little glee club will have to perform their numbers without their overly ethnic looking lead, won't they?" Sue smiled at Rachel.

"They can't perform with only eight members."

"Seven and a half. Wheelchair kid hardly counts." Sue laughed.

"This is all your fault, Noah." Rachel said waltzing her way down the hall moodily.

"And you came to that conclusion how?" He asked.

"If you hadn't have rung me we wouldn't have been caught and thus, we would not be in this mess." Quinn had to nod in agreement. Rachel slowed down once they'd reached the choir room. The other members of glee had long been gone. It just left the four of them to deliberate their fate.

"We could always just get up really early on Saturday and clean the buses before the coach comes for Regionals." Finn offered.

"The bus leaves school at seven AM for Regionals." Rachel retorted. They didn't speak to each other for a while.

"We could get up _really, _really early." Finn said.

"Don't be stupid."

"No he has a point. Principal Figgins said we had to do it on Saturday. Well technically Saturday starts at midnight. If we clean all the buses before seven AM starting at midnight then there isn't an issue." Puck told them.

"We won't be up in time." Quinn pointed out.

"Quinn, don't be a dimwit, you're sleeping round mine Friday night. The likelihood of us going to sleep before midnight is like a gazillion to one. We might as well just do it." Rachel said. She was still feeling a little iffy over the whole thing but she was desperate to go to Regionals and she knew she had to take her punishment.

"I'm really sorry guys, but thanks to a few people in our Glee Club, we can't go to Regionals." Mr. Schue announced. Tina burst into tears. Santana looked like she was going to kill Rachel, and Brittany just sat and moaned.

"You know if it was legal, I would kill you." Santana remarked. Rachel almost fell off her chair in disgust.

"And _I'm _the crazy one." She replied.

"What are you talking about, sir? Of course we're going to Regionals." Quinn said suddenly. It had been another emergency meeting full of hurried issues and plans.

"That's impossible, Quinn." Mr. Schue handed Tina a box of tissues. Artie had wheeled his way to her rescue and was soothingly stroking her back.

"No it's not. Just trust us. We're going to regionals and we're doing our punishment." Mr. Schue still looked unconvinced by Puck's announcement. He shook his head.

"Look, we'll be there, Mr. Schue. We promise." Finn said. Mr. Schue disbanded the meeting. Rachel clung to Puck.

"You alright, baby?" He asked.

"Yeah, I just don't wanna get killed by Santana that's all." Puck thought back to the possible catfight between Rachel and Santana.

"Nah, she's all talk. Don't worry about it." He kissed her lightly on the lips and walked off to his last lesson.

**P.S. I know 'One' wasn't in the Regionals show but I just loved it when they did one!**

**R&R please! **


	11. Chapter 11

**So here is the next chapter! Part one of regionals! **

**Little note for you guys here, the updates may be a little slower in future because of schoolwork **** but I have a four day weekend this weekend so I plan to just write and do nothing with my precious free time! **

**Hope you like **

**Please review, I love having a little read of them!**

**I don't own glee or the songs in this chapter! **

The plan didn't quite go according to… plan. They thought they'd got ever area sorted. That was until Friday night and Rachel's dads asked her where she was going with Quinn at half eleven.

"We're going to see Noah." Rachel told them sweetly. They both looked unconvinced. Especially Raymond.

"You don't need to go and see that boy now, Rachel, go back upstairs and get ready for bed with Quinn." He said. Quinn fidgeted amidst the awkwardness of the Fathers on Daughter argument unfolding before her.

"But he has my sweater and I need it for tomorrow." She lied. They didn't fall for that one either.

"Then he can bring it tomorrow, can't he?" Stan smiled, ushering his daughter up the stairs.

"But I need it now!" She moaned.

"Actually, Mr. Berry, I think I've forgotten my toothbrush." Quinn said suddenly.

"There are spares in the linen closet, have one of them." The pair didn't know what to do.

"What exactly are you girls planning? It's half eleven on a Friday night and your lying to us about boyfriend visits and toothbrushes. Care to explain yourselves or we will tuck you in right now and you will be unable to leave the premises until tomorrow morning." Rachel's dad said. The girls looked at each other. They'd been rumbled. But that wasn't to say they couldn't continue lying…

"Alright fine. We've been invited to a pre-Regionals party at Kurt's house and we thought if we left it late then you wouldn't realize if we were gone." Rachel fibbed a bit more. This time, it looked like it worked.

"And is Kurt taking you to the school in morning?" Rachel and Quinn both nodded.

"Fine. Go. Just don't get drunk or do anything you'll regret later." Rachel's daddy sighed. They turned around and went into Rachel's room to grab their car-washing supplies.

"You're too good at lying for your own good, Rachel Berry." Quinn smirked. Rachel shrugged and slammed the front door shut.

"You're late." Finn said as he stood in the abandoned school parking lot with a coil of hose and a few buckets.

"We had a lying issue surrounding the parents. If my dads ask, we're at Kurt's house." Rachel pulled on her waterproof ski jacket for warmth. It was freezing by now. They were an hour late and Puck was no where to be seen.

"Where's Puck?" Quinn asked as she filled up the first bucket.

"He's trying to get round his mom as well. She's not falling for the old hooker plan. Apparently now he has a girlfriend, that's immoral. Why it wasn't classed as immoral beforehand I don't know." Finn smiled, he was scrubbing hard on the first bright yellow school bus. Puck's original plan was to tell his mom that he was going to a hooker party. They could see by Finn's effortless first attempt that these buses were going to take ages to clean.

Puck didn't arrive until three AM. Finn, Quinn and Rachel had managed to work their way through just three buses. There were still had seven more to go. And just four hours to do it in.

"Where the hell have you been?" Rachel shouted.

"Ahh nice to see you too, Rachel, my loving and caring girlfriend." Rachel gave him one of her 'don't mess with me I'm angry' looks.

"I had to get away from my mom. I had to wait until she was asleep." He told her, rolling up the sleeves of his rain jacket and starting to help.

The four of them work well as a team, Rachel and Quinn had to clean the back of the bus, whereas Finn and Puck were up the front. They got a little lax after a while and started cleaning them roughly. Once all the buses were done, they collapsed against one of the school walls and watched the sunrise.

"I'm tired." Rachel yawned, settling herself in Puck's arms. He rested his head on hers and smiled.

"Me too." Quinn mumbled.

"And cold." Finn wrapped his arms around Quinn protectively.

"Oh well, the coach for Regionals will be here soon. We can sleep then." Puck said, looking on the brighter side of the situation.

"Guys! Guys! Wake up! The bus is here!" The voice of Mr. Schue echoed inside Puck's brain. He hadn't slept well, or for nearly as long enough as he liked. Turns out, concrete pavement is freaking hard and way too cold to sleep on. No matter how snuggled you were with your girlfriend her giant coat. Puck shook himself awake and looked around. Finn and Quinn were already getting on the bus with the others. Rachel looked to peaceful to wake. Instead, Puck picked her up and carried her onto the extravagant coach. Kurt, Tina and Artie had the back seats. Quinn and Finn were already asleep in the seat before them. Puck placed Rachel onto a seat and slid himself next to her.

The conference centre where the regional competition was being held was packed. Vocal Adrenalin seemed to have a whole wing full of dressing rooms. The other two choirs, including New Directions, only had the two dressing rooms to split between each group. Luckily, there were only twelve members of McKinley's show choir so there wasn't too much of an issue.

"These dresses are beautiful, Mercedes." Rachel swooned; she played with the hem of one of the purple ruffles that pleated through the dress.

"Kurt and I made them last night." She replied. Rachel looked at herself in the mirror. She had big, sleepy dark eyes and her face was very pale.

"You're both looking really tired. Go grab some coffee or something. There was a little stand in the foyer. I'm sure they'll be some there." Santana said looking at the exhausted Quinn and Rachel. The girls left the bleak dressing room and agreed that caffeine was probably the best answer.

"Two lattes please." Rachel asked the old woman who was serving the tea and coffee.

"I'm afraid it's white coffee or black coffee, dear." She said.

"Oh… er two black coffees then." Quinn smiled. The two other show choirs were milling around, just looking at the competition. Rachel looked at one of the groups, High Notes and Low Notes, and thought to herself 'easy'. She was pretty sure, just by the look of them that they were easy competition. She then stared at Vocal Adrenalin. They were not so easy. Jesse was limbering up with a few of his fellow choir members.

"Look, it's the preggers girl from Sectionals! She's lost the baby, not the weight though! Look at her, she's so fat!" One of them said spitefully. Quinn took a sharp breath in. Rachel couldn't stand seeing her friend so upset. She went over to the evil looking teens.

"What did you just say?" Rachel glared at them. The tall ginger girl, who had first made the comment, looked down on Rachel.

"What's it to you?" She sneered.

"What's it to me? What's it to _me_? Well, that 'preggers girl from Sectionals' is my best friend." Rachel pointed out with exaggerated air quotes. Quinn could see what was unfolding. She picked up the polystyrene cups and made a bee line to drag Rachel away from a soon-to-be catfight.

"Isn't that cute." The ginger girl grumbled.

"And she's not fat! Unlike you, chubbers!" Rachel chuckled. The choir girl stood right over Rachel, belittling her.

"Rachel, just leave it! Come on, let's go." Quinn said quietly. The ginger girl turned her attention to Quinn and laughed in her face. Rachel swished her hair and stalked off down the hall towards the dressing room.

"I can't believe that… bitch! Seriously, what was her problem? She doesn't even know you and she's says stuff like that!" Rachel felt herself get overwhelmed with anger.

"Rachel! Just forget about it! If it's not bothering me, then it shouldn't bother you!" Quinn snapped, pushing the cup of coffee into her friend's hands.

"Because you _are _bothered!" Rachel said bluntly. She made a valid point and Quinn just stood there. She opened the door to the dressing room and plonked herself on one of the seats. Rachel put the coffee on the dressing table and started brushing her hair fiercely. Quinn burst into tears. Mercedes, Tina, Santana and Brittany all rushed to her aid.

"I a-a-am fat!" Quinn sobbed into Mercedes arms. Rachel put her hairbrush down and squeezed herself in between the other girls. They moved out of the way. Quinn looked at Rachel, tears streaming down her face, and just flung her arms round her. Rachel rocked her friend as she cried.

"Shh, Quinny, its gunna be ok. She was just some stupid cow who doesn't know you. I know you. And I love you, so stop crying before you make your face all blotchy and horrible for the competition!" Rachel laughed. Quinn wiped her eyes.

"I'm so sorry if I ever made you feel how I'm feeling now." Quinn said. Rachel felt her heart ping. She'd forgotten all about how Quinn used to make her feel. She'd forgotten most things about the previous school year.

"It doesn't matter. Just change into your costume!" Rachel said, faking a smile. Thought whirled around.

'_Rupaul…man__-hands…'_

She pulled on her purple dress quickly. It flicked out in all the right places. Everyone looked amazing.

"Sit, girl." Mercedes demanded. Rachel did as she was told. Brittany started applying make-up to Rachel's face, whereas Mercedes just fixed her hair. She looked in the mirror and gleamed. They'd made her look stunning. And as she turned to Quinn, who'd been made over by Tina and Santana, and smiled. They both looked fabulous.

"The boys are meeting us in the Green room. There's a TV in there so we can watch the crappy High Notes and Low Notes. What sort of a rubbish name is that?" Santana scorned.

The boys were waiting on a few deflated sofas.

"I'm gay." Puck huffed. He was wearing a pair of black trousers with a silky purple shirt that had glitter sprinkled over the collar.

"That could be some what of a problem in our relationship, Noah." Rachel chortled, kissing her boyfriend neatly on the lips. She sat herself on his lap.

"You look beautiful." He said. Finn looked at Quinn and just nodded. Quinn wished for Finn to say something like that to her, but she knew he wouldn't.

"You look lovely, Finn." She was trying to coax a sweet compliment out of him.

"Thanks." He said flatly. The glee club sat around and stared at the TV screen. They were all getting nervous. And for some of them, they were all getting tired. A sharp clap snapped Rachel awake.

"I will not have you get your drool on Puck's shirt! I haven't brought a spare! And we certainly haven't got time to mop up your bodily fluids from his lapels!" Kurt pulled Rachel's head away from Puck's chest. She grinned.

"We almost certainly beat them." Ms. Pillsbury declared after the first group, High Notes and Low Notes, finished their first number. There was only two more numbers and an interval until New Directions shot at the Regional champions. Everyone felt butterflies wiggle in their stomach.

"This is the five minute call for New Directions. Can New Directions please make their way to the stage; this is your five minute call." The voiceover said. Rachel made her way to Stage Left. She felt Puck grab her hand.

"Good luck, I love you." He said sweetly.

"I love you too." She pressed her lips against his only for Kurt to come along and push them apart.

"Leave it, love birds!" He growled. Rachel waved goodbye.

"Please welcome to the stage…. William McKinley High School's New Directions!" The presenter yelled excitedly. Rachel took a deep breath before gallivanting her way on the stage to the tune of Finn's voice.

_[Finn] Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time  
I feel alive and the world it's turning inside out Yeah!  
I'm floating around in ecstasy  
[All] __**so don't stop me now don't stop me**__  
[Finn] 'Cause I'm having a good time having a good time  
_

Rachel took the lead and span around Finn. The others were all dancing in the background.

_[Rachel] I'm a shooting star leaping through the skies  
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity  
I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva  
I'm gonna go go go  
There's no stopping me  
_

Puck burst through the dancing couple and lifted his girlfriend as he sung.

_[Puck] I'm burning through the skies Yeah!  
Two hundred degrees  
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit  
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light  
I wanna make a supersonic man of you_

[All] _**Don't stop me now I'm having such a good time  
I'm having a ball don't stop me now  
If you wanna have a good time just give me a call  
Don't stop me now ('Cause I'm having a good time)  
Don't stop me now (Yes I'm having a good time)  
I don't want to stop at all**__  
_

Artie rolled his way around the stage, head banging as he went.

_[Artie] I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars  
On a collision course  
I am a satellite I'm out of control  
I am a sex machine ready to reload  
Like an atom bomb about to  
Oh oh oh oh oh explode  
_

Kurt's high voice filled the room as the audience began to stand and clap. He wiped his brow and fanned his hand for effect.

_[Kurt] I'm burning through the skies Yeah!  
Two hundred degrees  
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit  
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light  
I wanna make a supersonic woman out of you _

All twelve of them crouched to the floor in a grid, apart from Artie who took centre stage. They bowed their heads.__

[All] _**Don't stop me don't stop me don't stop me**__  
Hey hey hey! _– All boys stood up then crouched back down._  
__**Don't stop me don't stop me**__  
Ooh ooh ooh (I like it) – _The girls span themselves, almost laughing with the fun of it all._  
__**Don't stop me have a good time good time  
Don't stop me don't stop me  
Ooh ooh Alright  
I'm burning through the skies Yeah!  
Two hundred degrees  
That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit  
I'm trav'ling at the speed of light  
I wanna make a supersonic woman of you**___

Don't stop me now I'm having such a good time **[Finn]**_  
I'm having a ball don't stop me now _**[Rachel]**_  
If you wanna have a good time _**[Mercedes]**_  
Just give me a call _**[Kurt and Mercedes]**_  
[All] __**Don't stop me now ('Cause I'm having a good time)  
Don't stop me now (Yes I'm having a good time)  
I don't wanna stop at all**___

[All] _**La la la la laaaa  
La la la la  
La la laa laa laa laaa  
La la laa la la la la la laaa hey!...**_

The music stopped playing and the whole club stood on stage, panting crazily. The moved into a line while the audience settled their applause. Mr Schue was in the wings, nervous about the next song. They achieved such a wonderful applause, would the next number live up to it?

"They're very good." One of the judges muttered when New Directions were performing their final number of Don't Stop Believin'. They'd performed One beforehand and stunned the judges. They all had such a connection with each other, and they were certainly a team. The judges were blow away.

"I think we did it!" Artie screeched. They were all hugging and high-fiving. Such a buzz ran through the hall as they all yelped with pride. They really had a shot at winning.

"You sounded amazing." Puck clasped Rachel's hand. She turned to him and looked up at his smiling eyes. He leaned in a kissed her. Rachel didn't have any words to say. She was speechless as to how in love she was with this one boy. He combed her hair out of her eyes with his fingers.

"I love you, Rachel." He gushed. She was about to reply but he stopped her.

"No, I really mean it. Not just the 'I love you' that every couple flings around. I really do love you, Rach. I think… I think you might be the one." Rachel felt a silent tear roll down her face.

"The one?" She croaked. She pulled up his hand and made his index finger stand up.

"The one." He said, pushing his finger on her nose and then kissing her.

Rachel pushed the door shut and knocked her head back. Mercedes was handing out paper cups of lemonade and cheering.

"You alright, Rach? You look kinda… weird." Quinn said, handing her a cup of lemonade.

"I'm fine." She sipped the drink politely. She wasn't a fan of carbonated drinks, too much sugar.

"Seriously, what have you done to that boy to make you look like this?" Rachel just giggled and toyed with her hair absentmindedly.

"I'm the one." She gushed. The other girls stop laughing and looked at her in awe. The placed her on one of the chairs.

"The one? _The one?_" Quinn said, pointing her finger. Rachel nodded.

"The one." Rachel pushed her finger up too.

**P.S I didn't right out the whole 'One' and 'Don't Stop Believin' write-out-every-little-bit thing because well… you do watch the show right? Just imagine that, in purple costumes! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Jeez so I had writer's block hardcore on this chapter!**

**Regionals 2! **

**Btw, the whole Tina's stutter being fake didn't happen for the sake of this story.**

**I don't own glee! **

**PLEASE REVIEW! I love my reviews but I only get like three each chapter. I need more peoples! **

The one. The one. The actual one. Boys don't just say that. Boys like Puck don't say things like. Not unless they mean it. And Rachel was pretty sure he meant it. She heard the voiceover call the choirs back on stage. Her head was already spinning with possibilities of her being someone's, one. And now she had to go back on stage and find out of if they'd won. Won? One? It was all so confusing!

"In third place… High Notes and Low Notes!" The distraught looking choir collect a bleak trophy from the head judge. A deflated choir master smiled but you could tell he felt like crying.

"In second place…" The two choirs held each other's team mates, all praying that the other choir would be called. They kept them agonizing for aged before finally…

"Vocal Adrenalin! Meaning New Directions are the winners and are now through to Nationals!" The judge announced. Everything went into slow motion. Finn roared with pride, grabbing Quinn and a number of others into a large embrace. Rachel jumped into Puck's arms, screaming as she did so. She whipped her head round and saw Jesse's crumpled face. Mr Schue was yelling about how proud he was. He full on hugged the head judge when he received the trophy. Shelby Corcoran looked tearful. She'd been beaten by a bunch of newbie misfits and their inexperienced coach.

"Noah, am I really your one?" Rachel sobbed as Puck held her round his hips. They were still on stage but she couldn't care.

"Of course you are! I love you! Am I your one?" He asked with a cheeky glint in his eyes. Rachel nodded so much he swear he thought her head would fling off and hit someone.

"Yes! Yes, you are!" She squeezed him tight around the neck. The audience were clapping and cheering. Rachel could see her dads jumping around yelling. Puck's mom was next to them, she was crying with pride.

The all walked backstage, still cheering with happiness. Shelby Corcoran pulled Rachel away from her team mates.

"You did a great job out there. You didn't deserve to win but you were still pretty good." She cornered Rachel. Rachel felt nervous in her presence.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Shelby smirked evilly, much like she had at the auditorium.

"Ask you're dads. They'll tell you." Rachel walked away slowly. Puck gave her a smile and put her on his back.

"_We are the champions, my friends!" _The whole bus sang, badly, as they pulled away from the conference centre. Rachel flung herself from Puck's back onto one of the fraying seats.

"Listen up! Celebration party, my house, next Saturday night!" Kurt yelled. Everyone cheered.

"Care to go as my date next weekend?" Puck played with Rachel's hair.

"Why of course, master Puckerman. I'm sure that shall be a joyous occasion!" Rachel said in a terrible English accent. Puck laughed and then kissed her. Quinn looked wistfully on at her best friend and her boyfriend make out. Finn wasn't even looking at her; he was staring out the window. He unzipped his bag and pulled out his iPod.

"You're not seriously going to listen to that and completely blank me are you?" Quinn looked right at him. Finn shot her the puppy dog eyes look.

"Sorry Quinn, wanna headphone?" He offered meekly. She folded her arms and huffed. She looked back at Puck and Rachel. They were chatting and laughing and kissing. Why wasn't her relationship like that?

"Finn, I think we need to talk about us." She said bluntly.

"I know. Just, not now." He said timidly.

"DAD! DADDY! WE WON!" Rachel screamed as soon as she opened the door. Puck was right behind her. Her dads came hurrying down.

"Oh, sweetie! We're so proud of you!" Raymond squeezed her tightly. Stan even hugged Puck. He felt sort of nervous of the hug. It was like he was really accepted.

"Are you staying for dinner then, Noah?" Stan asked after Rachel had given a detailed account of the whole day. Puck found it enchanting how this girl could talk about so much so quickly. It was like her dads and she had their own secret language. Puck just sat on the sofa and stared in bewilderment.

"Yeah sure." Puck answered breezily.

"Daddy…" Rachel started. She kept thinking about what Shelby had said. It'd freaked her out but it hadn't really settled until now.

"Yes my darling." He said.

"Do you know Shelby Corcoran?" She said bluntly. Both her parent's faces went white. Puck looked around quizzically.

"I think its best you go, Noah. We're sorry about dinner." Stan said suddenly. Puck shot up. He felt like he was intruding. Rachel grabbed his hand.

"No. He's not leaving." Puck tried to tease Rachel's hand away so that he could leave.

"Rachel, if you want to know who Shelby is, Puck is going to have to leave." Her dad said through gritted teeth. Puck shuffled before kissing Rachel lightly and leaving sharpish.

"Well, now you've done that and ruined the day, how do you know Miss Corcoran?" Her fathers both sat down and sighed. They didn't want to do this now.

"She's your mother, Rachel." Rachel couldn't breath. The whole room started spinning. She could just see Shelby's evil little grin and then see all the similarities between them. The long dark hair, the eyes, the nose. Rachel tried to stand but couldn't. She just ended up falling over and crying. Her mother. Why was she so upset over her mother?

"She's not my mom. She's not. She's horrible and mean and I hate her! I hate her, daddy! I HATE HER!" Rachel screamed. Her fathers struggled to settle their distraught daughter. They didn't think she'd react like this. They thought she'd be pleased. But Shelby was so horrid and acidic, the thought of Rachel being related to such a despicable human being, sickened her.

Finn sat on Quinn's bed. Quinn planted herself next to him. They'd been sitting next to each other for twenty minutes in silence.

"You said we should talk." Finn said after awhile. Quinn still stayed silent.

"So… do you wanna…" He didn't finish the sentence.

"You don't love me any more, do you Finn?" Finn took a sharp breathe in.

"Quinn… I-I-I-I just…" He stammered. Quinn burst into tears.

"You don't love me anymore." She cried.

"No, no! I do love you just…" He put his arm around her.

"Finn! We're not a couple! We just two people now! I love you so much Finn and now look at us! You just don't love me." He took his arm away and wrapped it round himself. Quinn got up and walked around. Finn couldn't bring himself to tell the truth.

"Please just say it, Finn. Just get it over with. Just tell me you don't love me and leave." She put her shaky hand on the door handle.

"No. I'm not gunna end it like this. I'm sorry Quinn, but I do love you. I just don't love you as much as a proper boyfriend should. I love you as a friend. But that's it now. I'm so sorry, Quinn. Please don't hate me." Finn told her truthfully. He was being brutally honest. She felt herself explode with tears as she opened the door. Finn got up. He was about to leave but instead he hugged her. He held her tight and then made his way out of the pink bedroom. Quinn crumpled into a ball on the floor.

"We just won regionals!" Kurt said at the celebratory glee meeting. Mr Schue was handing out plastic cups of fizzy drinks. Rachel had pushed the thought of Shelby to the back of her mind. She'd accepted the fact she was her mother, but refused to tell anyone, including Puck. She didn't want anyone to know. It was still bugging her inside, but if she didn't tell anyone, no one could get hurt. Including her.

"I know! It's amazing! I'm so excited I could…. I could…." Rachel gleamed with her typical mega-watt smile.

"Pee?" Puck finished for her. Rachel scrunched her face and elbowed him softly. Mr. Schue walked out to get more cups. Quinn walked in the room. Her hair was hung lank and greasy around her pale face. She didn't have a smudge of make-up on. Instead of her usual flowing dresses she was wearing an old jumper and a pair of worn down, too-short, jeans.

"Jesus Quinn, who died?" Puck grinned. Quinn erupted into fresh tears. Rachel and the other girls all rushed to her aid.

"F-f-f-f-Finn d-d-d-dumped me-e-e-e!" She wailed. All the boys coughed and stroked there jaws as if they didn't care and weren't listening.

"Oh sweetie! Hey, come here!" Rachel clutched Quinn, who had stumbled her way to a chair. Finn strode into the room. Everyone went silent. Rachel felt anger shake through her veins.

"It's alright Rach, don't worry." Quinn kept her friend from going completely ninja midget on Finn's ass. And Rachel was very capable of being a midget ninja. She used to do judo.

"You know I could, Quinn." Rachel said sternly. Quinn laughed as she wiped her nose. Finn took a seat at the back of the room. Rachel furrowed her brow and stared at him blackly.

"Don't give me that look, Rachel. You don't know what went on." Finn said after a few minutes of Rachel's evil glare.

"Actually I do, you broke my friend's heart. I don't how or why or when or where or any of the other fricking Ws but I do know that no one gets this upset over getting dumped unless they've had they're heart snapped. I should know."

"Damn straight!" Artie preached.

"Shut it, Rachel. You know nothing. Just because you've got this new boyfriend doesn't make you a genius in relationships, alright?" Finn was getting angry now. Quinn pulled Rachel back.

"How dare you be so rude, Finn Hudson! If anyone's the most inexperienced when it comes to relationships it's me and Puck! We did the whole 'I love you' thing backwards for goodness sake! And Puck still thinks playing COD is romantic!"

"Hey, you kinda enjoyed it last time!" Puck intervened.

"Not the point, Puckerman!" Rachel was standing by now, she flung her hand in front of Puck's face.

"See, look at yourself! You're drawing attention to your relationship yet again! Just leave it! If Quinn wants to tell you went on, then that's fine. But don't get all 'break my friend's heart and I'll break your legs' on me because it's not my fault!" Finn said with air quotes.

"NOT YOUR FAULT? Who's fault is it then?" Quinn hollered. Finn got and stormed out. Mr. Schue arrived, belated, with what looked like hundreds of plastic utensils.

"I got spoons, for the salad!" He put them in front of the very bleak and withered buffet on the back table. Rachel pulled her chair closer to Puck's.

"Quinn, I could totally break his legs if you wanted me too." Quinn laughed before realising she was being serious.

"I know you could, babe, but howabouts we just leave it? There are two men waiting back at my house who desperately need our help, I think you should join me after school." Quinn laughed. Puck straightened himself up and put his arm around Rachel protectively.

"Er… who would these men be?" He coughed.

"Well, they're really tasty."

"And they love it when the lick them." Quinn smirked, feeling a little better about herself.

"And... do I know them?" Puck was getting more and more het up about the idea. He was oblivious to the joke.

"Oh yes, intimately." Rachel licked her lips seductively.

"Mhhmm, what are their names?" He found himself doing nothing but staring at Rachel's mouth.

"One's called Ben." Rachel whispered in his ear.

"And the other's called Jerry. Oh and they need us. They need us bad." Quinn said in his other ear. Puck chuckled at his foolishness.

"Should've known really." He nuzzled himself into Rachel's neck.

"Ow, I think I'm going to explode." Mercedes moaned as she rubbed her stomach. The three empty tubs of ice cream were discarded in Quinn's bin. Tina, Santana, Brittany and Rachel were lying, in agony, on Quinn's floor. Quinn had taken the queen's thrown of her bed.

"Same." They agreed.

"The only good thing about a break-up, is the girly aftermath." Quinn announced as she lazily pressed play on the third DVD.

"When A-a-artie and I first kinda had a little tiff and split, Mercedes and I wailed our way through four-r-r-r and h-h-half packets of Oreos." Tina told them. She and Artie had been together a long time. They only split because Artie found it difficult to accept that Tina's stutter was going to wear away because she was receiving speech therapy. He was jealous that she had a chance of getting rid of her disability, whereas he didn't get a choice.

"I've never done the whole girly break up aftermath." Rachel said randomly, way after the conversation had ended.

"Pfft, I doubt you will." Quinn sighed.

"Let's hope not." Rachel smiled. Mercedes looked shiftily at Tina. They both kept silent.

**A/n: Not trying to sound promotional, but could I get some more reviews for my other one-shot story 'To Have and to Hold' please? I don't know whether to make it more than a one-shot that's all **

**Danke! **** (Am not German, just took it as a GCSE) **


	13. Chapter 13

**My dear readers, here you are, enjoy! **

**Please review, I'll love you for it!**

**I don't own Glee! **

Rachel left Quinn's house last. She had to walk home as Puck was, quote "Playing COD with the M-Dogs and A-Man." Meaning he was playing computer games with Matt, Mike and Artie. Her dads had just said they couldn't come and get her. She didn't catch why but the evening was cool and light so it didn't bother her too much.

"I'm home!" Rachel said shrilly. There was no reply. Usually her fathers would come dashing over to welcome her.

"Dad? Daddy?" She called. She pushed the kitchen door open. Shelby was sitting at the table with a mug, her fathers sitting opposite her.

"What's she doing here?" Rachel spat. Shelby sneered.

"Apparently I was out of line at Regionals. I wasn't supposed to tell you or something. Doesn't matter though, does it?" Shelby asked.

"It was our right to tell her when she was good and ready. You broke the trust, Shelby; it wasn't your place to tell her." Stan cracked.

"Don't! Just stop! Look I know now, so can we just leave it?" Rachel pleaded; she couldn't stand to be in the same room as Shelby now.

"See! That's what she wants!" Shelby squinted her eyes towards Rachel's fathers.

"Rachel, we're sorry you had to find out this way. Shelby's agreed to have no further communication with you." Rachel felt relief sweep over her.

"I'm transferring to some school in Arizona. You won't see me again." Shelby sighed. It was like she didn't care.

"I'm still your daughter." Rachel said suddenly.

"But I'm not your mom am I? I'm just the middle man in this whole thing. You're my daughter, but you're not my child." Shelby's tone softened. She looked like she was going cry. Shelby regretted so much of what she'd done. She knew the minute she'd said something to Rachel that she shouldn't have done it. But she had. And now she'd got Rachel into this big mess with her dads. She felt so bad. She didn't want to be horrible to Rachel anymore. Not to her daughter. Rachel just wanted to hug the woman now. What was up with that?

"I'm sorry. I know you're going to hate me forever because of what I've done but I want you to know that even if you'll only ever be Baby Girl Berry to me, I still kinda love you a little bit." Shelby stood up.

"No, Miss Corcoran, you don't love me. You only love the baby me. You don't know me, as in Rachel Berry, you know the me that was the little human that lived in you for nine months." It sounded harsher than Rachel had expected. Shelby pushed her way out of the kitchen. Rachel and her dads stood in the kitchen, waiting. They heard Shelby's car drive away.

"Was she that mean when you picked her off the register?" Rachel asked funnily. Her dads laughed.

"Shelby didn't really sound like a mean person's name." Stan smiled.

Rachel couldn't sleep. She felt obliged to think about her mother. She'd never properly thought about her before. Of course she'd often wondered what she'd look like but nothing as deep as how she was thinking about her now. She figured that when she met her mother she'd feel a deep love surge over her and never want to say goodbye to her mom again. But she felt empty. A mom in her eyes was a woman who loved you, and looked after you and cared about you. But Shelby never expressed anything like that to Rachel. She wasn't really her mom. She was just a mother. Just a uterus in her dads' eyes. Rachel felt like she should cry about it. But she couldn't. She wasn't that upset. She'd met this woman who was mean and horrid and just because she found out she'd given birth to her, didn't change that. Shelby Corcoran was still Shelby Corcoran. And Rachel didn't want to dwell on it any more.

"Morning, honey." Rachel's dad said nervously the next day.

"Good Morning, papa!" Rachel replied freshly, pouring herself some cereals.

"Are you going to tell anyone about the whole Shelby thing?" Her daddy questioned randomly.

"I don't see why they need to know. If they ask I'll tell them. If they don't, I won't." She smiled plainly. Her fathers were stunned at their daughter's outright approach. Someone as dramatic as Rachel should surely be acting a little more…bothered.

"I'm not going to deny that this whole experience had shaken me but I feel that I need not speculate on the situation. I plan to continue living my life normally. But I warn you, dear fathers, I feel that this is the clam before the storm. I'll notify you as much as possible on how I'm feeling. I think do need some more therapy though." Her fathers were dumbfounded. Rachel never ceased to amaze them. Sure, she'll go crazy if you eat the last bowl of Froot loops, but tell her who her mother is and then get them to meet up? Apparently that's fine.

"Dad, Daddy, I love you. But I don't love Shelby. She's just a person. She's not the figure of motherly love I was hoping for, so why should I let her ruin my life so early on?"

"Rachel, are you feeling alright?" Her dad enquired.

"A little peaky to be honest but nothing to keep me away from strengthening my education." Rachel placed her bowl in the sink and scurried off to get ready for school.

"Crazy, crazy daughter." Stan said, perplexed by what had just unfolded.

"Guten Morgen, Noah." Rachel greeted Puck at the school gates.

"Crap I forgot to do my Spanish homework." He answered, intertwining his hand with hers.

"A) That was German B) why haven't you done Spanish homework? And C) you don't have Spanish today." She swung their arms lazily.

"German, Spanish. Same difference. And I know I don't have Spanish today but I forgot to do my Spanish homework last week so I got an extension to today and now I haven't done it which means I'll be getting a detention and will be unavailable to spend time with my utterly beautiful and amazing girlfriend." Puck wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulder and smiled.

"Ahh what's her name?" Rachel joked. She pushed herself onto the tips of her toes and pressed her lips against his.

"Eurgh, PDA at this time in the morning?" Kurt said sleepily as he walked past the couple making out. Quinn smiled at him and then looked over to Puck and Rachel. Puck was giving them the 'move-on' hand signal. Mercedes and Quinn both pretended to gag. Rachel started laughing, making Puck unable to kiss her.

"Must you?" He growled.

"Oh sorry, did we interrupt anything?" Mercedes flicked her head and flashed her freshly brushed teeth. Puck waved his hand, indicating towards him and Rachel.

"Clearly!" He smirked.

"So is everyone a defo for Saturday?" Kurt said, slamming himself down near the piano. Rachel was painting one of Quinn's nails in a vivid bright green.

"Yes." She answered quickly. Quinn stayed quiet.

"Quinn?" Kurt trailed his hand along the keys.

"I don't know. Maybe… I think I might be busy." She said vaguely.

"You can't let Finn hold you b-b-back." Tina said. Quinn shrugged.

"I just don't want to go."

"You're going." Rachel and Kurt said at the same time. Quinn knew there was no point arguing. She just flicked her hair and slouched.

"It's alright for you. You have a boyfriend to hang around with." She groaned. Rachel felt pride buzz through her. It felt good to have a boyfriend. It felt even better when someone pointed it out.

"But I can hang out with you. And plus Mercedes doesn't have a boyfriend. And neither does Kurt." Rachel told her. Quinn shrugged again.

"Whatever." She sighed. Mercedes wiped her fringe out of her eyes. She gave Rachel a side glance.

"Rachel! Meeting!" One of her dads called from downstairs. Rachel was idly lolling on her bed with her laptop resting on her stomach. She dragged herself up and plodded to the living room.

"Now you remember a few weeks ago we talked about moving…" Her father started.

"Eurgh not this again. I told you! I don't want to move!" She stamped her foot like a small child.

"Rachel, please, we've found this lovely house, only a few blocks away! It's closer to school…"

"Why would I want to be closer to school? I'm 16! Being closer to school is the last thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning!"

"It's closer to Noah." Her dad waggled his eyebrow. Rachel was about to say something back but she held her tongue. Being closer to Puck would be nice… and a few extra minutes in the mornings before school would be nicer… But then she'd have to leave this house. And she didn't want to do that.

"No. Why do we need to move anyway? What's wrong with this house?" She disputed.

"Nothing's wrong with this house. We just like this other house better." Rachel folded her arms.

"Have you brought this house?" She questioned, trying hard to sound interested.

"We've made an offer."

"You made an offer and didn't tell me! Gosh my life is fraught with lies and angst." Rachel cried out very overdramatically.

"Oh Rachel stop being so melodramatic. We're moving in four weeks." Her dad stated.

"FOUR WEEKS! When did you make this offer? I haven't even seen the house!" Rachel was getting really angry now.

"We made it an offer when we first told you about the whole moving thing. We didn't want you to get all huffy so we delayed it as long as possible."

"HUFFY? I AM NOT HUFFY!" Rachel got out and stormed out the house. Her dads just acted normal, as if Rachel's major hissy fit hadn't just occurred.

"But moving's fun!" Rachel frowned at Puck and Quinn.

"No its not."

"But you'll be nearer to me." Puck wrapped himself around her.

"But I like my house!" Rachel was getting increasingly annoyed. Her friends were supposed to back her up on everything.

"But you might like this new house more." Puck sipped at his grape slushy.

"For goodness sake!" Rachel shoved her lunch in her bag and waltzed away.

"I bet she likes this new house better." Quinn glanced over to Rachel waggling away.

"Bet I get roped into moving day." Puck sighed about to get up and chased after his girlfriend.

"You shouldn't do it, Mercedes, they're so happy-y-y." Tina was getting really nervous.

"Tina, I'm not gunna do it now. I'll do it on Saturday." Mercedes said applying lip-gloss.

"B-b-but you shouldn't ruin something just because you're j-j-jealous."

"Oh whatever, if you don't take a risk, then you don't get what you want." Mercedes said spitefully.

"You're not going to get what you want anyway-y-y Mer. You're-e going to get n-n-nothing." Tina slammed her locker shut. Mercedes scoffed.

"Daddy? Do I look ok?" Rachel sauntered down the stairs in a tutu floral dress. She had strappy high healed sandals on and she had her hair flowing and curly.  
"You look wonderful, darling." Daddy told her. She blushed subtly. It wasn't the best setting to flaunt her new party outfit, the house was starting to be packed up and there were boxes in various and obscure places.

"I think you look beautiful." Puck was standing in the doorframe with a smug smile. Rachel linked arms with him.

Kurt had decided that Mercedes's house was more suitable for the party. It had been changed at such short notice that it had taken Puck and Rachel more time to get there than expected. Rachel was very annoyed by her lateness, she prided herself with her punctuality. Puck told her to chill out as it was a party but Rachel still couldn't stand it. The music was quiet, the decorations were very over the top but there was plenty to drink.

"Geez, it's like a bar threw-up in here." Puck sneered as his eyes swept the huge table full with an assortment of alcohol sprawled all over it.

"I think they'll be a lot more 'throwing-up' to come tonight." She felt a little nervous by the whole party ordeal. She hadn't been to a proper party before. Not one since the third grade when she won a prize of crayons only to have them snatched off her by some jealous little brat. Puck picked up a few beers and handed one to Rachel. She just stared at it.

"I'm not really in the mood." She bluffed. Puck nodded, opened his beer and went over to chat with Mike.

"RACH!" Quinn's voice slurred from across the room.

"Jesus Christ, Quinn! How much have had to drink?" She staggered over to Rachel.

"Four! No five! No six! No seven! No eight!" Quinn was just counting her fingers.

"Alright, just stop." Rachel took her friend's hands.

"Rachel." Quinn whispered drunkenly. Her breath reeked of alcohol.

"I need a wee." She giggled weirdly. Rachel sighed. 'Yay, a long night looking after a ridiculously drunk friend' she thought. Rachel escorted Quinn to the bathroom. She shoved her in and slammed the door shut; she'd seen Finn coming towards her.

"Hey Rachel." Finn took a swig from his bottle. Rachel ignored him and just held the bathroom door handle.

"Hello? Rachel?" Finn was standing right in front of her, Rachel was just looking away.

"Are you going to talk to me?" He asked. Rachel, again, blanked him.

"Fine. I'll just address this light switch as Rachel. Oh hey, Rachel, how are you? Good, good. You came here with Puck? Sounds great. Now I've been meaning to tell you something…" Rachel jabbed Finn in the stomach.

"Gotcha listening, have I?" Finn growled.

"…and that's why Pokémon will always overrule any other video game." Puck concluded. Mike and Matt nodded in agreement. Mercedes pulled Tina by the arm to where the boys were standing.

"Puck?" Mercedes said, trying to sound happily surprised. Puck just greeted her with a turn of the head.

"It's great to see you here!" Mercedes gave him a hug. Puck just unnervingly tapped her on the back.

"Want another beer?" she offered, shaking a bottle in his face.

"Sure." He took the beer from her hands thankfully. It was only his second, he wasn't too bothered. Rachel may not be drinking but Puck thought he might as well. Mercedes snuggled herself into his ribs. Puck stepped away.

"Finn, just go away. I clearly don't wish to speak to you." Rachel was still holding the door shut. She didn't want Quinn to come out until Finn had left.

"But I want to speak to you." He stated. Rachel banged her head back on the wall.

"Fine. Just spit out then leave." Finn gave a leery smile.

"I love you, Rach." Rachel didn't have to think twice about her answer.

"Fantastic, I don't love you. Now go away." Rachel said sharply. Finn looked like he'd been kneed somewhere that should never be kneed. Especially on a boy.

"But I love you." He persisted.

"Finn, I. Do. Not. Love. You. Now. Can. You. Please. Leave?" She poked his chest after every word. Finn only ever wanted her when he couldn't have her. Finn flounced off, smashing his beer bottle on the floor as he went. Rachel loosened her grip on the handle. She tapped lightly on door. No answer. She knocked a little hard. Again, no answer. Rachel pushed the handle down. She shielded her eyes and then went into the room.

"Why doesn't he love me?" Quinn was sitting in the corner next to the toilet. She wasn't really crying, just sort of drunkenly struggling to pull up her underwear.

"For God's sake, Quinn! Pull your goddam pants up!" Rachel found herself laughing at the situation but then feeling a twang of sadness over what Finn had just said. And what Quinn had just heard. Quinn squirmed on the floor.

"Why does Finn love you and not me? And you have Puck. Oh my life is full of woe!" She wailed.

"No Quinn, your life is not full of woe. You are just full of alcohol. Finn's probably drunk anyway he didn't mean it. Now I think it's best if we find you somewhere to lie down." Rachel pulled Quinn's arm around her shoulder.

"But my you can't tell my dad! Or my mom! Crap, Rachel, what have a done?" Quinn laughed crazily. Rachel slumped her friend on the sofa and left her there.

"I love you Rachel." Quinn sloppily kissed Rachel on the cheek.

"As a friend I mean. I'm not a… lesbian." She explained, grabbing Rachel's face.

"Yes, Quinn, I love you too, as a friend. I'm not a lesbian either. Now I'm going to find you a bucket and I'll come and get Puck to help me take you back to my house." Rachel chortled at Quinn's stupidity.

"Mercedes! Can you like, back off a little!" Puck said after Mercedes for the forth time had try to put her hand in his back pocket. Rachel's hand belonged there, and no one else's. Mercedes giggled and moved her hand up to his hip. Puck lightly pushed her away.

"Puck, come with me." Mercedes pulled his wrist. She guided him outside. Puck reluctantly followed her.

"What exactly do you want? You do know I have a girlfriend. A girlfriend who I love very much." Puck folded his arms across his chest like a barrier.

"Oh come off it Puckerone, you don't love Rachel _that _much." Mercedes forced herself on to Puck's face and kissed him. He didn't kiss her back. He pushed her away.

"What the hell are you playing at, Mercedes? I finished with you before summer! I don't like you!" Puck rammed open the doors. Mercedes was left standing on the patio. She just wanted Puck back. He'd made her feel on top of the world. She thought she could get him back by one kiss. She'd just made herself look like a slutty bitch instead. And everyone knew she wasn't one of them.

"Noah! I've been looking all over for you! You need to help me get Quinn back to my house." Rachel dashed over to her cross looking boyfriend. Puck didn't plan to Rachel. Not tonight anyway.

"What's wrong with her?" A retching noise could be heard ricocheting through the house.

"She's intoxicated." Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Great." Puck groaned.


	14. Chapter 14

**Voila, chapter 14!**

**Oh yeah the end of the last chapter it was suppose to say 'Puck didn't plan to ****tell**** Rachel' – DUNDUNDUNDUHHHH! Ikr! **

**Enjoy, I think I'm losing the pzaz with this story but meh… I'll stick till the end I suppose **

**Please review, I love them!**

**I don't own Glee but I did buy a Ribena this morning. That was tasty. I owned that until I drank it all. I love Ribena. **

"Ite Bezza?" Puck said, giving his girlfriend a kiss on the cheek.

"Did you just call me 'Bezza'?" She enquired.

"Yeah, the rapper version of your name." He smiled sneakily.

"But my name is Rachel. Berry is my last name."

"Alright fine, ite Razzle?" Puck sighed. Rachel tossed her hair.

"Yes, thank you… Nuzzle? I am completely and utterly fine and I do believe you are intruding on my studies." Rachel flipped open one of the many textbooks that surrounded her. She had a free period and seen as her weekend was filled with crazy parties, well, one mildly crazy party, she hadn't studied at all. Puck started to play with her hair as she wrote.

"Look, Noah, your presence here is lovely but I really need study." Rachel moved his hand away.

"Can't we study together? I love it when we study together." He waggled his eyebrows.

"No. We can't. Go find one of your friends to play with." Rachel definitely acted like his mom sometimes.

"But I wanna stay here with you." He whined.

"Noah, just go. I'll see you in glee club. I love you." She kissed him lightly.

"I love you too." He kissed her back. "Bye." Rachel liked having Noah as her boyfriend. She knew he wasn't perfect but for her, he just was. Nothing was going to draw her away from him. Not even stupid Finn Hudson and his stupid declaration of stupid love.

Mercedes piled her books into her locker. Why had she done it? Tina had been right all along, she wasn't going to get anything. She was just so jealous of Puck and Rachel. She wanted that. And she wanted that, with Puck.

"Puck!" She yelled as she saw him walking out of the library. Puck ignored her completely.

"Puck please I'm really sorry!" Puck carried on walking. She didn't exist in his eyes. Mercedes ran towards him. He was faster than her even if he was just walking but she managed to catch up. She grabbed his arm, he snapped it away forcefully.

"I don't want to speak to you Mercedes." She looked up at him.  
"I'm really sorry. Have you told Rachel?" She asked sheepishly.

"No! And you're not going to either, got it?" His husky voice demanded. Mercedes just stood there. Puck turned away from her. He didn't need an answer. She wouldn't tell Rachel. She didn't have the guts.

"Hey guys! Wait, where's Quinn?" Mr Schuster asked.

"She's still recovering from Saturday night's epidemic at Mercedes house. She's completely over it now but she told her mom she had flu so now she has to stay home until tomorrow." Rachel laughed. She looked over at Mercedes and smiled.

"Did you guys have fun?" Most of the room nodded. Mercedes kept herself still. Puck just shuffled on his chair.

"Good stuff. Now…"

"Rachel I'm sorry." Mercedes declared suddenly. Puck's heart stopped beating._ 'No, Mercedes don't say it.'_ He kept thinking. Mercedes had a tear in her eye. _'Don't do it, please don't do it' _Puck prayed in his head. Rachel just sat there and looked at Mercedes, confused.

"Sorry for what? You haven't done anything." Rachel disguised her nerves with mild laughter. Puck held Rachel's hand tightly. Mercedes took a deep breath.

"I kissed Puck. Well, we kissed each other." She cried. Everyone went silent. Rachel tugged her hand away.

"What?" She hissed.

"We were both kinda drunk…"

"Oh well if you were DRUNK I suppose that's alright then." Rachel didn't know whether to be upset or angry.

"I didn't kiss her back, Rach, I swear. I love you. You, no one else." Puck begged. Rachel swaggered over to where Mercedes was.

"Now I know that you think you're all cool and sassy but let's face it, you're nothing but a stupid slut who thinks kissing other people's boyfriends is an acceptable thing to do. I don't know whether you were doing it to get back at me for something but one thing I do know is, I am NEVER going to trust you again." Rachel said it such a deadly quiet way, everyone was scared to move. Mercedes stood there, trying her very best not to punch the girl in front of her in the face. Rachel turned to Puck. Rachel spun on her heels sharply.

"And you." She pointed at Puck. "Well you, you can go back to being the badass manwhore you were before because, Noah Puckerman." Rachel was wiping tears away from her face.

"We're through."

Rachel stood at the front door, still crying her eyes out. She knocked sharply on the door.

"Is Quinn in?" She wept as Mrs Fabray opened the door. She nodded caringly and led Rachel up the stairs.

"Quinn, it's Rachel, she needs you." Quinn sat bolt upright in her bed and looked over to the doorframe. Rachel flung herself at her and cried into her lap.

"Rach, what's happened?" Quinn grappled for tissues that her mom had left on her nightstand.

"Puck and Mercedes kissed at the party and now I've told Puck we're through and I don't know if he kissed her back. He said he didn't but I don't if I should believe him and then I shouted at Mercedes…" Rachel rambled. Quinn was gobsmack. Not about Puck, she kind of expected it from him unfortunately. But Mercedes? She was always such a sweetheart.

"Do you think Puck kissed her back?" Quinn asked. Rachel shrugged.

"It's the kinda thing he'd do. But I thought he'd changed. Maybe he didn't but then Mercedes would never just pounce on a boy. Oh I don't know Quinn! What am I gunna do?" Rachel began to wail again.

"Why the fuck did you do that?" Puck roared as Rachel dashed out of the choir room. Mr Schue quickly made himself visible by standing right in front of Puck.

"Calm down." He said.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? Would you fucking calm down if the girl you loved just dumped you because some stupid loser thought they had a chance with you?" Puck kicked the nearest chair to him.

"Don't you dare swear at me, Noah Puckerman." Mr Schue told him authoritatively. Puck kicked another chair.

"I'm sorry, Puck." Mercedes whimpered.

"Just tell me why. Why are you so hell-bent on ruining the only good thing in my life? I told you I loved Rachel. I told you I didn't like you anymore. Now you tell me why you just did that." Puck had settled himself.

"She deserved to know." Mercedes cowered backwards.

"Yeah, she deserved to know it was your fault. Thanks Mercedes." And with that, Puck stormed.

"You're back early, Noah." His mother said as she saw her son come into the house. He didn't speak. He just looked at her.

"What's wrong, honey?" She asked, she went over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Rachel dumped me, ma."

"Sweetie, it's alright. Come here." She wrapped Noah in an embrace.

"Ma, I just wanna be alone." Puck went up to his room. And cried.

The tension in glee club the next day was stifling. Mercedes was forced to sit in the corner on her own as no one was talking to her. Puck was trying to hide himself near the instruments. Rachel was right in the middle, surrounded by supportive friends.

"And once again we are disbanded." Finn muttered. He was still barely accepted in the group.

"I'm fed up with all the drama. We're all going to sit together and talk about what's on our minds. Miss Pillsbury will be here too." Mr Schue addressed the broken up glee club.

"Like a shrink?" Artie questioned.

"I'm not a shrink. I'm a guidance counsellor." Miss Pillsbury said timidly. The glee club sighed and looked around. Miss Pillsbury was weird. Mr Schue signalled for them to all sit in a circle shape.

"This is the talking object…" Miss Pillsbury started.

"Yeah we're not eight, I think we can take turns in speaking." Kurt said fiercely. Miss Pillsbury fluffed her words and just motioned for Quinn to speak.

"Erm hi I'm Quinn…"

"And I'm an alcoholic." Tina butted in. They all laughed apart from the two teachers who gave Tina a disapproving look.

"Well, that's kinda debatable after this weekend." Rachel winked.

"Guys! Come on! Take this seriously! Quinn, tell us what's on your mind." Mr Schue struggled to control the obviously bored glee club.

"Nothing's on my mind. Apart from lunch." She sniggered. Mr Schue glared at her.

"I'll go!" Rachel chirped up. Miss Pillsbury nodded for her to continue.

"I was cheated on. By my boyfriend and a close friend. And the thing is, I don't know who to believe. On one had there's my close friend, who's admitted to it. But then there's the boyfriend, who's kind of known for being a player. So what do I do? I throw a Rachel Berry and flip out crazy and now I regret it loads." She finished. It was like this huge weight was lifted off her chest.

"Thanks for sharing." Miss Pillsbury felt like she was actually doing her job.

"Can I go?" Puck grumbled. He cleared his throat.

"I kinda cheated on my girlfriend but then I kinda didn't because this girl just launched herself at me and I was sorta like 'Whoa' and I like didn't kiss her back. And now my girlfriend, sorry, ex-girlfriend is all like 'Oh-Em-Gee Noah, we're through, Ahh!'" Puck emphasised his point by hand gestures, everyone was sort of laughing. Even Rachel.

"So now I feel like a complete a-hole even though I completely and utterly… Geez that's something my ex used to say… did not mean to cheat on her. Cos I like love this girl majorly and badass Puckerone here cried into his mama's arms for like four hours last night over her. But of course, you don't know that and I certainly didn't tell you." Puck gave a cheeky smirk and wink.

"Well, it's good to see you're making light of the situation. Be free with emotions, its ok to cry." Miss Pillsbury soother.

"Yeah if you're a homo. No offence Kurt." Puck scoffed.

"None taken sweet heart. But please stop being homophobic." Kurt grinned. Silence filled the room. It was so awkward. Puck rubbed his hands together.

"Can we like go now?" He asked. Before either of the teachers could even answer, they'd all got up and started walking out.

"Rach!" Puck called. Rachel slowed down, but didn't stop.

"I'm sorry. I honestly didn't kiss her back. Please don't give up on us just yet." He pleaded. Rachel's mind went blank.

"I completely and utterly… don't know what to do. You can be a right douche bag at times." She said half heartedly. Puck was shocked at her cussing.

"Yeah I know, I'm not saying we should get back together right here right now, I'm just saying, don't give up. Don't move on."

"I can't make any promises, Noah. Whether you kissed her back or not, I don't know. You still did it and you didn't tell me. You broke my heart." She played with the zipper on his jacket carelessly. He'd broken her heart. What a douche bag.

**P.S. You'll probably thinking 'This is way over the top' but a) this is Rachel and I want to try and keep her at least a bit in character and b) she didn't see the kiss so she doesn't know and c) with Puck's background of being a man-whore, what would you believe? Please review! **


	15. Chapter 15

**So I wrote this chapter once, rewrote it and came out with this! Enjoy!**

**I rewrote it after getting a tip from a reviewer, so if you wanna influence me, review!**

**Please review, I seriously love reading them :-) **

**I don't own Glee or the song used in this chapter! Damn. **

**Oh and I'm not American and I have no idea what the 4****th**** of July is actually about but happy 4****th**** July? I think that's what I'm suppose to say. **

"Finn, dude, I need you man." Puck mildly yelled down the phone.

"You're talking to me? I thought your girlfriend forbad you to talk to me." He answered.

"Were you not there? She dumped me and got all up in my grill about something I didn't do. Now anyways, I need you." Puck leaned his phone on his shoulder and started typing on his computer.

"Fine, what do you want?"

"I need a way to get Rachel back." Finn froze. Why should he help him? Puck had been the one to mess it all up, why should Finn get a chance with the girl he loved?

"Can't dude. Gotta go." Finn pressed the little red telephone button on his phone. Puck needed a way to get Rachel _back_. Finn needed a way to get Rachel.

"Do you think I was too crass with Noah?" Rachel asked as she sipped at the frescato she'd just brought with Quinn.

"I dunno. Not really to do with me, is it?" Quinn grunted.

"Since when have you turned into a boy? That was such a boyish thing to say." Rachel stood outside the shop window and looked in at all the pretty dresses that hung on the mannequins flatteringly.

"I just don't want to get involved that's all. I mean it's all too messy for my liking and if it happened to have escaped your mind, my ex-boyfriend told you he loved you this weekend, I'm still getting over that." Quinn chucked her empty cup in a nearby trashcan.

"Yeah but I don't love him so it's cool, he's totally gunna get over me and then fall for you again. Now seriously Quinn, answer my question, was I too hurried with dumping Noah?"

"Maybe a little. But I wasn't there and I suppose I'd be pretty crushed if my friend kissed my boyfriend. Even if didn't kiss her back it would still creep me out a little." Quinn feared she'd said too much.

"He told me not to move on. Like I was gunna do that! I love him!" Rachel scoffed.

"Then tell him and get back together." Quinn said.

"He needs to do a bit of grovelling first." Rachel prowled.

Puck had been sitting at his computer, tapping away at the keys, for hours. He was yet to find what he wanted. He didn't understand why Finn was ignoring him. Rachel was also ignoring him but he kind of guessed that.

_Please can we talk? Noah x_

He sent Rachel a pleading text. He had to make Rachel believe he didn't kiss Mercedes. Damn his stupid reputation. He glanced at his phone, no reply.

Puck was extremely bored. He had nothing to do. He'd actually already done all his homework. He'd tried to think of various creative ways to win back Rachel, only to realise he was crap at poetry and his song writing skills were not good under pressure. He took a shot at writing a letter but it just sounded way too sappy.

"Can I watch TV in here? Mom's watching the cooking channel and it's really boring." Becky complained as she opened the door.

"Sure, whatever, I'm going out." Puck threw the remote at his little sister and left. He hated it when she just decided to go in his room. But he could hardly say no otherwise she'd kick up a fuss and Puck would get in trouble.

He strolled around the bland streets of Lima. He passed the house near him that had the big 'SOLD' sign out the front. He kind of guessed that that was the one that the Berrys had brought. It was big and had a veranda and a white picket fence. Very Rachel Berry. He then walked to Rachel's actual house. He looked up at her window; she was sitting on her windowsill with her laptop on her knees. He stood there not realising he'd been standing, staring, at her for ages.

"Noah?" Rachel shouted out of her window. Puck had been rumbled.

"Oh, hey, Rachel!" He tried to look as if he'd just stopped mid-walk.

"Why have you been staring at me?" She was a little bit daunted. "Just go away, I don't want to speak to you." She locked the window and wound down her blind. Now Puck really did look like a stalker. If he was Romeo, and she was Juliet, and this was Shakespearean times, he'd totally be chucking pebbles at her window. But this 2010, in Lima, Ohio and Puck just looked like a perv. He would have knocked on her door and asked if he could talk to Rachel but then he remembered that her dad was huge and would probably beat the crap out of him.

"Hey, Rach." Finn his voice warbled mid-sentence.

"Goodbye, Finn." Rachel took a pen out of her pencil case and started writing down the date. Finn scooted himself close next to her.

"I sit here. Remember?" He was trying (And failing, terribly) to sound seductive. Rachel questioned in her mind why she always got the weird ones wanting her. First there was the very unromantic Finn, the I'm-Looking-At-You-Through-Your-Window Puck and of course, Jacob Jew fro who liked to sniff her underwear. Jesse was the only mildly normal one out of them all. But even he turned out to be weird once he'd chucked dairy products at her in the parking lot. Rachel didn't answer Finn. She kept her eyes on the board.

"I was wondering whether…"

"No." She said sharply. She loved Puck and some doofus named Finn was not going to get another chance with her.

"Rach, baby, hear me out."

"Again, no." Puck walked into the room, Rachel felt her heart pound. Finn clenched his fist. Puck waved at him and gave cheeky smirk to Rachel. Rachel's insides felt like they were about to explode.

"C'mon, humour me here; come to the cinema with me tonight. It'll be fun." Finn slid over a ticket to some lame-ass action film at eight.

"I'll humour you." She snipped the ticket neatly in half the laughed. She hated Finn. Really hated him.

"Hey! I paid for that! I could have taken someone else!" Finn looked at the severed ticket, his jaw literally dropping to the floor.

"Like who? Quinn? Oh wait, you dumped her." Rachel suggested. Finn screwed up the paper and turned away from her. Mission accomplished, she thought.

"Noah! This came in the mail for you!" His mom called. It'd been almost a week since he'd split with Rachel. He was finding it kind of tough; I mean a stud, missing just one girl? Crazy. The package was lying on the table.

"Kerching!" He did the whole hand action thing just to top off his excitement. Puck ripped open the package and smiled. It was just a wad of paper.

"What is it?" Mrs. Puckerman asked, trying to lean over her son's shoulder to see.

"It's my ticket back to a beautiful relationship with Rachel." He danced his way to his room.

Quinn looked at the Cheerios perfecting one of their already amazing routines. She'd been kicked out after getting pregnant, and she hadn't wanted to go back since the baby was born. Like Coach Sylvester would take her back anyway. And plus, she had Glee. But she did miss it. The flips, the turns, the lifts. It had been so exhilarating being a cheerleader. But now she was just another student like all the others. Nothing defined her any more, she was just Quinn Fabray. Not Quinn Fabray, Head Cheerleader.

"Hey, Juno! Get out of my auditorium; I don't want you leaking all these routines to other competitors." Coach Sylvester said through her megaphone. Quinn blushed at the 'Juno' comment. She quickly stumbled away from the athletes, vowing to herself never to go back. She kept her head down looking at the floor. That was until she walked straight into Finn Hudson, hunky ex-boyfriend quarterback.

"Sorry." They both mumbled.

"I heard what you said to Rachel." Quinn said suddenly. "On Saturday when I was in the bathroom. You said you loved her." Finn went scarlet and found himself incapable of speech.

"It hurt. But I understand." Finn still stayed silent.

"I'm sorry, Quinn."

"You know you don't have a chance with her, don't you? She's still in love with Puck, and he's still in love with her. You might as well move on." Finn shuffled on his feet. Boy does the truth hurt sometimes.

"Everyone has an even chance of getting what they want." Finn muttered.

"You don't seriously believe that? That's like saying I have an even chance of getting Orlando Bloom to fall in love with me. I can't even keep a guy like you, there's no way I have a chance with anyone else." Finn rested himself against the lockers. Quinn joined him.

"I bet if Orlando Bloom did meet you he'd fall in love." Finn laughed breathily. Quinn sneered.

"I bet if Rachel hadn't met Puck, she'd be in love with you." Quinn froze, her own words even managed to creep her out a bit. Her best friend and her ex? That's a huge no-no. Puck better get this crap sorted out before Finn turned on his boyish charm and made Rachel his own.

Puck had spent 7 hours and 35 minutes practising on his guitar. His fingers were crippled. This plan better work, otherwise he's just given himself rheumatoid arthritis for no reason.

Strangely, for once, everyone wanted to be at Glee. Finn had made amends with Quinn and was now welcomed back to the group. Some more enthusiastically than others, Rachel was still very adamant that he was a loser who should go back to singing in the shower. Mr Schue was really happy to see everyone as a team again. Mercedes was still pretty shunned out and neglected but Tina had started talking to her again a bit.

"Can I sing my song now, Mr Schue?" Puck put his hand in the air and waited for a reply.

"Go for it." Mr Schue told him.

"Well this is for my girl-… the girl I love…."

"His mom." Finn chuckled.

"Shut it, Finn!" He growled. "And I hope that with the help of this song, she realise that I did not in fact kiss back any member of the school community on Saturday night other than her. And also how much I love her." Puck began to sing.

_I'm not gonna to patronise ya  
But trying to write down why I like ya  
It doesn't make it any better  
To just steal kind words off Phil Spector_

And I know all these tired clichés  
But I don't know which cliché to say  
Because clichés don't have any impact  
So I guess I will be matter-of-fact

Cos...It's so good to know ya  
I just don't know how to show ya

I love you, you know that  
Don't you?  
I love you

I'm so sorry that I'm losing  
When other boys would leave you swooning  
When I finally get my words together  
I choke and they are gone forever

But words are words and they mean nothing  
Surely I love you counts for something!  
So let's be hasty, and let's be reckless  
Just being with you leaves me breathless

Cos...It's so good to know ya  
I just don't know how to show ya

I love you, you know that  
Don't you?  
I love you

I love you, you know that  
Don't you?  
I love you

It's so good to know ya  
I just don't know how to show ya

I love you, you know that  
Don't you?  
I love you

I love you, you know that  
Don't you?  
I love you

I love you, you know that  
Don't you?  
I love you...

The Glee club sat in awe as Puck finished the last few chords of the song. He coughed and shuffled as the song ended. Everyone clapped. Rachel's hand flew up in the air.

"Rachel?" Mr Schue was sort of confused. Really, you need to ask a question after he just song THAT?

"Can I ask Puck something?"

"Sure." Mr Schue shrugged.

"Was that song performed regarding me and our previous relationship?"

"No it was about his mom." Finn laughed again. Rachel punched him really hard in the leg. It was so powerful and painful; Finn just sat there in agony.

"What do you think, Rach? Seriously, for an A+ student, you're not always that bright. Of course it was regarding you." Puck smirked. Rachel went about four different shades of red.

"Well it was very admirable of you. Would you mind stepping outside so we could discuss in depth the lyrics?" Rachel said casually.

"They're pretty simple, just sort of I lo-"

"Outside would be great." Rachel quickly made her way to the door. Puck stood in the middle of the choir room, still with his guitar on.

"Dude, you're totally gonna get some, leave." Mike told him.

"Oh right, yeah." Puck followed Rachel's path and met her in the hall. Just as he'd closed the door, a small, some would say midget, brunette girl through herself into his arms and kissed him.

"I love you, Noah. I'm so sorry I didn't believe you." Rachel said as she twisted her fingers through his Mohawk.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. And also I'm sorry for creeping you out by staring at through your window. I didn't mean to, I was just sorta standing there. I love you, baby." He kissed her again.

"So are we cool?" He asked after they drew apart.

"Ice cool." She giggled. They shared an Eskimo kiss before he put her back down on the floor and walked back into the choir room.

"So?" Quinn and the rest of the glee club, asked as the couple walked into the room.

"I've got my baby back." Puck said proudly. Squeals of joy fluttered around the room. Finn had missed his chance.

_I Luv U – The ordinary boys_

**P.S Watch the glee version of the Juno Trailer on YouTube, it's actually amazing and I've watched it like 8 times! Type is EELG version Juno and it should come up. Bye! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry for slow update, been too addicted to the World Cup. And possibly schoolwork but mostly football. **

**I don't own glee! **

**Review, please?**

**Enjoy **

"So, what films have you got?" Rachel asked, settling herself into the sofa cushions. Puck's house was so cosy, especially compared to hers which was completely packed up ready for the move in two days. Her weekend was planned, Friday night was movie night with Puck, Saturday was packing day and Sunday was moving day,

"Spiderman or Hostel." Puck said whipping the DVDs out and putting them on the coffee table.

"I meant good ones." Rachel tilted her head and raised her eyebrows at him.

"What? Spiderman's epic!" Puck started to fiddle around with the TV.

"It's so unrealistic!"

"And all your musicals aren't?" She folded her arms around her legs.

"Hostel it is then." Puck inserted the disk into the machine and waited.

"No way in hell are you letting me watch Hostel. I would rather die."

"It's this or Spiderman!"

"Can't we watch something funny? You must have more than two films in this house." Rachel was petrified of all things scary or gory.

"Oh I have other films." Puck gave an inappropriate wink.

"You're disgusting!"

"It's not disgusting…it's natural." Puck growled towards her, Rachel kicked him away.

"No, Noah, the things in those films are definitely not natural."

"So you've watched one?"

"NO! Stop putting words in my mouth!"

"I could put other things in your mouth." Puck teased. Rachel pretended to gagged and swotted him with a cushion.

"You genuinely sicken me." Puck put his arm round her and flicked the remote a few times. He hadn't changed the disk. Puck smiled to himself. Scary films always meant screaming girlfriends. And all boys want their girlfriends to scream. Even if it was caused by Eli Roth's directing.

* * *

"I am never going to Europe." Rachel was in a state of shock, still in a ball on Puck's couch. She'd spent most of the film screaming in Puck's arms, terrified of every single little noise. She'd barely even glanced at the screen. Puck laughed at her comment before slowly peeling her away from his chest.

"Not a fan of scary films?" He chortled.

"Look at me. Do I look like the sort of person who's into scary films? No, I didn't think so." Rachel got up slowly and went over to turn to TV off. She looked at her watch, it was nearly midnight.

"I better be off." She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. Puck pouted moodily.

"I can't stay here, Noah." Rachel yearned to stay but she knew it'd be all wrong. She was way too nervous.

"You can stay in the spare room." He offered. Puck's mother opened the door.

"Oh, Rachel you're still here." She said surprised.

"Yes, I was just leaving."

"Oh you can't leave now, it's far too late. You go and ring your parents and I'll set up the spare room." Puck's mom smiled kindly. Damn. She was cornered.

* * *

Rachel, wearing one of Puck's old t-shirts and a pair of jogging bottoms, tossed and turned in the crisp, newly set sheets. She couldn't sleep. She never slept when she was away from home. Her dads hadn't minded at all that she was staying with Puck, which kind of scared her. She knew she was supposed to be pleased that her parents trusted her and were so relaxed, but really she was just really nervous about the fact that this meant she was actually growing up. They actually trusted her with her actual boyfriend. Rachel felt a sudden wave of panic influenced heat flush over her. The window was already wide open and there was a noticeable breeze. She got out of the bed and tiptoed her way out into the hall. She could hear Puck snoring away. She wished she could get to sleep that easily.

"Noah." Rachel whispered.

"Noah." She repeated. Puck stirred a little and groaned.

"Noah."

"What?" He grunted.

"I can't sleep." She wiggled by his bed. She'd often done this near her parents' bed when she was little.

"I can." He mumbled.

"But I can't sleep." Rachel felt herself start to cry. Puck's eyes fluttered open reluctantly, he pulled at the sheets.

"Get in." He motioned to a space next to him. Rachel clambered into the warm duvet nest that was Puck's bed. She sighed slightly and closed her eyes. Puck cuddled her close next to him. She felt safe and relax. She could sleep at lot easier here.

* * *

Rachel finished her breakfast at the Puckerman's and left to go and see her fathers at home. They were moving house tomorrow, so she thought she better help pack the last few boxes. Puck was going to come over in the afternoon to move some of the heavier furniture.

"Good morning, daughter." Her dad said as he put one of the biggest brown boxes labelled 'Rachel Photos' into the back of a removal van.

"Morning, father." Rachel smiled.

"How was Noah's?" her dad cooed. Rachel shuddered. Not the talk, she kept thinking, anything but **the talk**.

"I think we need to talk." Rachel's dad said sternly. She pressed her lips together and nodded.

_I'm in for the talk. Wish me luck, Rach x _she sent the message to Puck and Quinn. Her fathers guided her into the house. They stood next to each other; Rachel sat on the stairs, flicking through her phone in hope to delay the inevitable.

"Right… well… erm." Stan stammered.

"Look, no offence, but I really don't think this specific talk is very… valid coming from too gay, yet wonderful, but still gay, men. Especially seen as I'm a girl." Rachel interrupted. Her dads were wonderful but sometimes, things would've been a lot easier if she had a mom.

"She's probably right." Stan said.

"No, we need to do this. Our sexuality should not interfere with our parenting." Raymond stood his ground. Just when Rachel thought she was clear…

"We understand that you like this boy very much…"

"I love him." Rachel corrected.

"Fine, love him. We just want you to be careful. Boys, especially at your age, tend to go out with a girl for one thing. We just don't want you to get hurt."

"Noah's different. He doesn't want me just for…" She struggled to get the last word to come out.

"Sex?" Raymond finished for her. Rachel cringed and shuddered again.

"Just don't do anything you don't want to. Wait until you're older and ready, if he really loves you like you say he does, he'll wait." Stan was trying to put his words as delicately as possible.

"And use protection." He added suddenly. Rachel shot up from the stairs and went into her room. There was hardly anything in there, just her bed and loads and loads of boxes. She flipped open her phone and saw that both Puck and Quinn had replied.

_Ha-ha, have fun! I never got the talk, I think by the time I told them I was pregnant; we'd past the birds and the bees stage! :P love yoooooooo Q xxx _

_Now that, has got to be awkward. See you later! Noah x_

Rachel sat on top of one the containers and groaned. She was just praying that there wasn't 'the talk _reprise' _when Puck came over.

* * *

"Now, Noah, if you could just tilt the dresser slightly… Not too much! Bring back, bring it back!" Raymond yelled as he and Puck tried to push the last bit of furniture into the removal van. Rachel looked on from the porch, smirking, it felt good to watch her muscly boyfriend lift heavy objects, practically busting out the guns in his t-shirt.

"Thanks Noah." Raymond tapped Puck's back appreciatively. Puck walked over to where Rachel was sitting.

"I think I need some help packing up my room." Rachel sipped at her soda suggestively.

"I thought you were all packed?" Stan said.

"Nope, not quite!" Rachel clasped Puck's hand and rushed him upstairs with her.

The stood and stared at each other for a moment in the private haven of Rachel's room.

"You do have lovely arms." Rachel put her hand to his tensed biceps, in comparison it was tiny. Puck dipped his head down and kissed her. He flung her onto the bed and kissed her more passionately. Before long, they were just making out. Rachel rolled off Puck's torso, gasping for breath.

"So was the talk weird?" Puck asked as he played with her hair.

"It started with 'we understand that you like this boy very much' and ended with 'use protection' so as far as awkward talks go… yeah it was pretty weird." She smiled.

"I'm not going out with you just to get in your pants, you know that don't you?" Puck said, he was seriously worried that that was what she was thinking.

"I know. But you do know that you are going to have to wait?" Rachel tightened her grip in his hand. She was nervous that he would dump her after that.

"Of course, I want our first time to be special. We've both had sex before, I just want our first time to be something to remember, you know." Puck grinned.

"Yeah… _our_ first time…special." Rachel mumbled. Now she was regretting lying about having sex with Jesse. She didn't realise Puck knew. She'd only told Finn. And that was only to impress him. Now she had to tell Puck it was lie. That's embarrassing.


	17. Chapter 17

**Quick update, short chapter. I know it's short but I kept adding stuff and it didn't go or fit or whatever. So I left it like this, I hope you like**

**Thanks for all the reviews, I usually reply to them all but I kept forgetting (& plus I have like loads of homework and have been doing this instead. Woops)! So Sorry! But if you've ever reviewed, THANK YOU and I love you. **

**Reviews, requests and advice would be great! **

**Still do not own glee. Damn. **

Moving day went perfectly. Puck was there to help with the furniture again. The neighbours offered cookies and sugar and all sorts of bizarre welcoming gifts. And most of all, the house was amazing. Rachel's room was absolutely huge and it was ten times better than her old one. The basement was even _soundproof_! That literally made her go weak at the knees. She couldn't wait to tell everyone at glee.

"So is it big?" Quinn asked as she puckered up and smoothed lip-gloss over her cupid's bow.

"Yahuh! It's amazing. Seriously, Quinn, once it's all sort of sorted, we are totally going to have THE BIGGEST sleepover ever. And I don't mean in numbers as I still have a very limited amount of friends, but in style." Rachel rambled. Quinn laughed.

"Why do you need loads of friends when you blatantly have the bestest best friend ever?" She boasted.

"Very true." Rachel agreed. The two of them slumped off into the choir room to get away from the noisy school hall.

"I've gotta tell you something." Rachel sighed. Quinn looked worried. As long as Rachel wasn't having a baby or moving to India, she figured it couldn't be too bad.

"What is it?" Quinn said calmly, hoping Rachel wouldn't detect the hint of nervousness wavering in her voice.

"It's kind of a secret, so you can't like tell anyone. At all." Rachel widened her eyes and put her hands out in front of her. Now Quinn was worried.

"You can tell me anything, Rach, I won't say a word." Rachel chewed on her bottom lip and sighed.

"Noah thinks I had sex with Jesse when I didn't which makes me still a virgin and now I'm all in a panic about telling him. It's humiliating." She said at supersonic speed. Quinn picked up the few key points: Noah, sex, Jesse, virgin, panic, humiliating. Got it.

"You should just tell him. It's no big deal." Quinn shrugged. Should not have said the last bit, she thought.

"No big deal? It's a huge deal! Noah doesn't think I'm a virgin! Do you know how awkward that's gunna be when I tell him? 'Oh hi there Noah, about having sex, I've never done it before. It's not big deal'!" Rachel said in a stupid voice.

"Alright, alright, don't get in a flap. The next time things are about to get all hot and heavy, just tell him."

"Oh yeah that's what every boy wants to hear when things get steamy 'Let's not have sex as I'm a virgin'"

"You've got to stop with the mimicking." Quinn snapped. Rachel rubbed her face in her hands. Quinn squashed herself next to her and hugged her.

"I just don't know what to do!" Rachel sobbed. Quinn routed around in her bag for a tissue and wiped away the tears from Rachel's face. Kurt came waltzing in humming away. Kurt took one look at Rachel and gasped.  
"Oh dear lord, who shot Barbra?" He was so overdramatic Quinn couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"What's up, sweetie?" He asked softly. Rachel stretched herself out of the curled up sobbing position and looked at Quinn. She didn't need to say anything, Quinn already knew.

"She thinks she's lost her West Side Story DVD because of all the moving." Always good in a disaster, Quinn Fabray was. Kurt stifled his own sob.

"That's truly terrible." He said choking back tears. Rachel knew she had to act this part out before suspicion arose.

"And the worst bit is, I think I've lost Annie as well!" Rachel exploded into a fresh load of tears. Kurt shivered and took a sharp in take of breath. He threw himself at Rachel.

"Baby girl, you know I'd give anything to you, but my Annie DVD? I don't think I could do that to myself." He honestly sounded truly sorry about his own little bit of selfishness. Quinn let out a meek laugh. Kurt gave her his best evil eyes. Quinn quickly turned the laughs into sobs.

"It's just so sad!" She added, covering her face so that neither Rachel nor Kurt could see that she was secretly in hysterics over the whole ridiculous situation.

* * *

Rachel was putting photos out on her new desk as the doorbell rang. She heard one of her fathers answer it and the familiar comforting voice of Noah Puckerman. She smoothed out her bedclothes. Her room wasn't looking particularly spectacular at the moment but she assured herself that it would after a few weeks.

"Hey babe." Puck said, walking over to kiss Rachel.

"Hey." She replied.

"I heard you lost some of your DVDs over the weekend, so went down to Blockbuster and picked a few up. Figured you could watch them till you brought a replacement." He handed her two DVDs, West Side Story and Annie. Rachel took them gratefully and put them over on her desk.

"Look, Rach, is everything alright? Because you're not really speaking and you like, never stop speaking." Puck laughed. Rachel felt butterflies gurgle in her stomach. She had to tell him. It was eating her inside out. Puck sensed there was something wrong and grabbed both her hands.

"I'm a virgin." She answered unexpectedly. He put his hands back in his pockets.

"Oh." He mumbled simply.

"I'm sorry." Rachel apologised. She felt like crying and flinging herself at him but she resisted the urge and kept it all bottle up instead.

"Sorry for what? You shouldn't be sorry for being a virgin." He laughed weakly. Rachel shuffled on her feet. Puck pulled into an embrace.

"C'mere." He mumbled into her ear as he held her. Rachel tried really hard not to cry and managed to getaway with just a few tears escaping down her cheeks.

"Why are you getting so upset? It doesn't matter. We'll just take it a little slower that's all." He soothed.

"Slower than what we're already going at is practically at a standstill! I'm such an idiot! I should never have told you."

"You should've told me and I'm glad you did. Just wish I was a virgin so I could return the favour." Puck sighed. Rachel eased herself away slowly.

"I'm so stupid. This is all such a mess." Rachel looked down at the floor.

"It's not a mess, it's perfect."

"You really think so?" Rachel sniffed.

"I know so. And I don't want you to worry about a single little thing. I love you no matter what. You're the one I'll love forever." He brushed his lips against hers. She felt safe, protected. She wasn't going to worry about anything, she had Noah.


	18. Chapter 18

**Finally the summer holidays are here! So updates will either be madly quick or sparse (sorry)**

**This one's a little longer than the last chapter, hope you read and enjoy. **

**Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming as they are all really beneficial! **

**Don't own Glee, or the songs in this piece :/**

Rachel and Puck sat in the choir room. They were both early. And since Rachel had told Puck about the whole virginity thing, they'd become even more annoyingly in love. So they were freely making out, without a care in the world. But no one wanted to see that, especially straight after lunch.

"In the name of the prepubescent Justin Beiber, please, put each other down." Kurt groaned as he walked in on the couple snuggling.

"It's getting to the stage where it's past gag worthy, and is now just making me vomit." Quinn huffed, pulling a chair away from the sickly sweet couple.

"Oh, you're just jealous." Rachel mumbled, not even looking at Quinn but everyone knew it was directed at her.

"Pfft, whatever, sweetheart." Quinn felt a surge of jealousy sink into her. She was jealous, not of Puck, but of their relationship. Stupid Finn still being in stupid love with stupid Rachel. No, not stupid Rachel, very lucky Rachel.

"Guys! Break it up!" Mr Schue said, screwing up his face up at the couple at the back. Puck and Rachel slowly lingered away from each other.

"Now I know Nationals isn't until summer, and it's nearly Christmas now, but we do need to get ourselves ready for the competition. I want at least three songs performed next week that we can put onto the possible nationals list. And Rachel and Puck? _**You**_ are not allowed to work together."

"What? That is so unfair!" Puck argued.

"I think you're being extremely inequitable, Mr Schuster. Our voices are perfectly harmonising together and you just want to ruin that." Rachel folded her arms fiercely.

"Your voice went well with Finn's as well, Rachel. You can't forget other members."

"I'll go with Rachel!" Finn said suddenly, a little too eagerly.

"I don't think that would be appropriate." Rachel grumbled.

"I'll go with Finn." Quinn offered casually, secretly dying inside with desperation.

"No, I don't want to do that." Finn said almost silently.

"Right! Quinn with Rachel and Puck with Finn! There you go problem solved! The rest of you can go with whoever you like." Mercedes darted over to Kurt. Matt and Santana snapped together, Brittany gave Mike a nod and Tina clasped Artie's hand tenderly.

"But Quinn's a girl." Rachel said in disbelief.

"You noticed." Quinn sneered.

"Mr Schue, Finn's a great singer and everything but doing a duet with him would be kinda…gay."

"Yeah, I don't really wanna serenade Puck."

"That's enough! I am the teacher and my word is final! Puck and Finn, you are working together. Quinn and Rachel, you are working together! It doesn't have to be a love song you know; it doesn't even have to be a duet! You can just split up a song." Mr Schue was getting angry with his students now. He was a cool teacher and all but he had to have some authority otherwise they'd just walk over him, like they'd been doing lately. The girls were keen to get started, especially seen as it didn't have to be some sloppy love songs. Puck and Finn however, were still not too enthusiastic. They'd both prefer to be singing with the girls. Puck got up and chucked his bag in the corner where Finn was.

"Mr Schue such a douche at times. I'd way rather be singing with Rachel, all our practises end up with us making out." Puck slicked his tongue and winked. Finn smirked appreciatively and gave him a high five. Finn wasn't about to let on to his best friend that he was in love with his girlfriend.

"So what song you wanna do?" Finn said after a few moments of daydreaming about making out with Rachel.

"I dunno, man." Puck shrugged as he texted Rachel, who was only a matter of metres away from him.

"Can you like concentrate for two seconds?" Finn snapped.

"Jeez man, stressy much…" Puck muttered.

"I am not 'stressy', Puck! I just don't wanna be kicked out of glee club, ok?"

"Alright, now you're starting sound like a girl. Do you need a feminax or something?" Puck joked, laughing to himself slightly.

"Just shut up!" Finn slumped back in his chair. Puck resisted the temptation to say anything more.

"You pick a song." Puck told him.

"Fine, I will but you're not getting the lead."

"Fine, I'll just play the guitar."

"Fine!"

"FINE!" They bickered.

* * *

"Did you ever tell Puck?" Quinn asked as she lay on Rachel's bedroom floor separating the parts of an Oreo and eating them.

"Tell him what?" Rachel was concentrating on painting her toenails a vivid green colour.

"You know… 'The thing'"

"What thing?"

"THE thing!"

"Oh _the _thing. Yeah, I told him. He was cool with it, you know. I was kinda surprised. Weirdly, he seemed kinda pleased and said it was all perfect." Rachel screwed the lid to the nail polish on tight. Quinn's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Did Puck just want another virgin? He'd used her, was he going to do it to Rachel? Quinn couldn't let that happen to her friend.

"Are you worried that he's just like using you?" She asked riskily.

"Nope, because he loves me. And I know that he does so I'm not going to worry about it. He said we'll take things slow and only do…_it_… when I'm ready." Rachel stated. Quinn let her worries fall. She didn't need to worry Rachel, that wasn't fair. Just because it had happened to her, did not mean it had to happen to Rachel.

"Oh ok." Quinn sighed.

* * *

There were never many students in the halls an hour before first period. Mostly just eager nerds or early morning sports fanatics. Quinn was neither of things. She hadn't been in McKinley this early since she was in the Cheerios. It was cold and would've rather of been in bed but she knew who would be here, and she needed to see them.

She stood against the fence guarding the bleachers, the morning sunlight was bleak and the floodlights were lit in a hope to bring more light on the fields.

"Hey Preggo." The grouchy cheerleading coach spat.

"I'm not pregnant." Quinn corrected her. The nicknames still hadn't stopped. Nor had the sneering glances and judgemental looks. She was known as 'the bible-bashing sophomore who got preggers' throughout Lima.

"That's right, sold your child to some baron couple in Cincinnati." Quinn stayed silent. Giving her daughter up for adoption was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

"Is there any particular reason you're lingering around school at this time? Didn't think 'Glee Club' was on at this hour." She said the words 'glee club' with disgust.

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Don't wait too long; I hear that you can get pregnant via the air now. Hot tubs are soooo last year." Sue walked away, laughing at her own joke. Quinn flushed a violent red. She noticed Puck doing laps around the field. She strode towards him.

"Puck."

"Oh hey, Quinn." He said breathlessly. "Finn's still in the locker rooms."

"Actually I wanted to speak to you." She folded her arms across her chest.

"Fire away, but make it quick, Coach wants us to do four more laps before the bell."

"Are you using Rachel just to get into her pants? Because it's the type of thing you would do, you _did _do. If you hadn't noticed, Rachel is my best friend and I'm looking out for her. She told me about the whole Jesse thing and that she'd told you all about it. You better not hurt her Puck." She'd tried to sound chilled and strong but by the end it just sounded like a plea.

"I've changed Quinn. I love her, you know. I don't just want to get in her pants. It's obvious you're still upset about the whole pregnancy thing, but I'm not that guy any more, Quinn." He looked kind of angry.

"Not that guy? Not that guy who gets drunk and kisses random girls for the sake of it? I don't believe you, Puck. You're still the same. You haven't changed." Quinn spat.

"Look, what's this got to do with you anyway? It's mine and Rachel's relationship. Not yours. I know you're jealous and all…"

"I am not jealous!" Quinn's face was red with anger; her eyes were stinging with tears. She just wanted to run out of this mess. Every moment she spent with Puck reminded her of her daughter. The daughter she would never see grow up. He'd singlehandedly ruined part of her life. She was too scared to see Puck do the same to Rachel. She couldn't let that happen.

"Whatever, Quinn. Just mind your own business." And with that he bounded off to catch up with the other guys.

* * *

Puck didn't tell Rachel about the confrontation with Quinn he'd experienced earlier. He figured Quinn had the right intentions but it just went wrong. He still thought about Quinn sometimes, not in the romantic way he did when she was carrying his baby, but in a pitiful way. They say your first years of high school are about finding where you fit in, why was Quinn still trying to do that now? She'd been head cheerleader, the one everyone either wanted or idolised. She had the handsome, sweet boyfriend from the football team; she had the perfect little life. But Puck had ruined that in a moment. Now she was dodging hurtful comments and worrying about a place to sit in the cafeteria. He guessed Quinn just didn't want Puck to do that to Rachel.

"What's with the thoughtful look?" Rachel giggled, scribbling down sums from the board.

"Just got stuff on my mind that's all." He responded blandly.

* * *

"Are you coming bowling with the guys from practise on Friday?" Puck was concentrating so hard on the TV screen his voice just went monotone.

"Yeah, is it bring a date?" Finn said flatly.

"Yeah."

"You taking Rachel?" Finn tried not to sound hopeful for the answer of 'No'

"Yeah, you taking Quinn?" Rachel had been on Finn's mind way to much for him to even think about Quinn.

"No. I don't wanna give her false hope or anything, y'know?"

"Yeah, I get it. Who you taking… AH DAMNIT!... Then?" Puck put his controller down, he'd just been blown up by some huge nuclear bomb or something.

"Dunno, no one probably." Finn flicked the buttons in order to quit the game. The boys looked at each other.

"Hey dude, I just wanna let you know, I am sorry for what I did last year, y'know with Quinn and everything." That subject hadn't been raised in months. Finn felt like he was re-opening a war wound.

"Whatever man, it's cool. You wanna shoot some hoops?" Finn did not want to talk about that right now. In actual fact, he didn't want to talk about that, like ever.

"Nah, I better be off. Rachel's got me running around fetching her and Quinn snacks for their 'Musical Muse'" He laughed.

"Oh yeah, have you got the song sorted for Thursday?" Finn nodded.

"Cool, we'll practise tomorrow. Don't worry about giving me stuff to sing, I really can't be bothered and, as Rachel would say 'your vocal range is excellent and should be flaunted as much as possible.'" There was an awkward silence when Puck started thinking about Finn flaunting things, and then thinking about Rachel flaunting things. He liked the latter better and thought about it all the way home.

* * *

Puck felt distinctively uncomfortable watching Kurt and Mercedes dressed in sequin cat suits singing 'Islands in the Stream' on Thursday. Most of the room also felt as if it was the sort of thing you would find on some messed up illegal cable channel. The fact Kurt kept turning around and shaking his butt didn't help with odd scenario either. Mr Schue dismissed the idea that it was a number for nationals almost indefinitely. Everything was a bit weird that Glee club meeting. It was like everyone had forgotten and then suddenly grabbed a CD from their parent's party mix cabinet and hoped for the best.

"I feel like my eyes have been violated." Rachel muttered softly.

"Will you use the costumes? I made them by hand." Kurt stroked the silver sequins affectionately.

"You're very talented, Kurt, but I think it's a no." Mr Schue hesitantly patted the boy on the shoulder. He scowled and strutted over to a seat.

"Finn, Puck, you guys ready?" Both boys nodded and took their places in front of the club. Puck winked at Rachel, Finn just stood nervously. He was going to be the only one singing, which just piled on the pressure for him.

_You're better then the best  
I'm lucky just to linger in your light  
Cooler than the flip side  
Of my pillow, that's right_

Completely unaware  
Nothing can compare to where  
You send me, lets me know that it's okay  
Yeah, it's okay  
And the moments where my good times start to fade

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
Sing like bird, dizzy in my head  
Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Oh, you make me smile

Even when you're gone,  
Somehow you come along just like  
A flower pokin' through the sidewalk crack  
And just like that  
You steal away the rain, and just like that

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
Sing like bird, dizzy in my head  
Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Oh, you make me smile

Don't know how I lived without you  
'Cause every time that I get around you  
I see the best of me inside your eyes  
You make me smile

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
Sing like bird, dizzy in my head  
Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Oh, you make me smile  
(Oh, you make me smile)  
Oh, you make me smile  
(Oh, you make me smile)  
Oh, you make me smile

Puck eyed Finn suspiciously who had gotten a little to into the song.

"Dude, that was so gay." Puck had not read the lyrics at all. Finn didn't say anything.

"I thought it was lovely, Noah!" Rachel burst out. _Smile _was one of her favourite songs, her dads used to play it to her whenever she was upset.

"Thanks, Rach." Finn looked at the floor and scratched the nape of his neck. He knew it was Rachel's favourite, he wasn't trying to impress her so to say. He just wanted her to notice him a little more. Even if it was on a mutual friendship-like base. Puck raised his eyebrows.

"Whatever it was still homo-tastic." He said it so no one could hear.

"What did you just say?" Rachel barked.

"I said it was homely and fantastic!" Rachel crossed her arms sharply. Puck was still a dick sometimes. But she loved him all the same.

"Girls, did you get anything?" Mr Schue asked as he put away Puck's stool. Quinn and Rachel grinned at each other.

"To show our new found and very strong bond of best friendship, Quinn and I have decided to sing something that we both feel vastly appropriate for how we see each other and what we get up in our spare time we share together." Rachel gleamed.

"If they start making out, I swear to god that will be the single most hottest things my eyes will ever see." Puck whispered to Finn.

"It'd be hotter than the time I saw Santana come screaming out the girls locker rooms after cheerio practise after seeing a spider. She was wearing just a _towel _and I tell you honestly now, dude, I think I saw little boobage." Finn smiled. Sure, he was polite, kind-hearted golden boy, but boobage was boobage in his eyes. Puck tapped their fists together.

_[Rachel] __Three little birds, sat on my window.  
And they told me I don't need to worry.  
Summer came like cinnamon  
So sweet,  
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete._

[Quinn] Maybe sometimes, we've got it wrong, but it's alright  
The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same  
Oh, don't you hesitate.

[Both] Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song  
You go ahead, let your hair down  
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,  
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

[Quinn] You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

[Quinn]Blue as the sky, sunburnt and lonely,  
Sipping tea in the bar by the roadside,  
[Rachel](just relax, just relax)  
[Quinn]Don't you let those other boys fool you,  
Got to love that afro hair do.

[Rachel] Maybe sometimes, we feel afraid, but it's alright  
The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change.  
Don't you think it's strange?

[Both] Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song  
You go ahead, let your hair down  
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,  
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

[Rachel] You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

[Rachel] 'Twas more than I could take, pity for pity's sake  
Some nights kept me awake, I thought that I was stronger  
When you gonna realize, that you don't even have to try any longer?  
Do what you want to.

[Quinn] Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song  
You go ahead, let your hair down  
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,  
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

[Rachel] Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song  
You go ahead, let your hair down  
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,  
[Both] Just go ahead, let your hair down.

"I liked that song. It's happy. It's a possibility for Nationals, good job guys!" Mr. Schue praised the pair. The hugged and took their places back on the chairs.

"Hey, Rach, Quinn." Puck muttered. Both girls turned to look at him.

"If you guys ever make out, video it and send me the link. That'd be great, thanks." He put his thumbs up. Rachel shot him a disgusted look and Quinn scoffed.

"Yeah, if I could see that video too…" Finn added.

"Me too." Mike smiled.

"Oh please, Little Miss Chastity Belt and Puckerman's Girlfriend-Zillah would never do that. Brittany and I on the other hand…" Santana winked.

"Excuse me! Quinn and I have no intention of… 'kanoodling'!" Rachel shuddered at her final word. Puck laughed.

"You said kanoodling!" He mocked.

"You're so immature." Rachel huffed.

"No, Rach, he's just a boy." Quinn corrected her.

"Preach." Mercedes, Kurt and Artie said in unison.


	19. Author's Note sorry!

A/N: I'm really, really sorry but I have the worst case of writer's block of all time! Please, I beg of you please give me some ideas as to where this going. I've completely 'lost the plot' (ha-ha, I'm so cool with my literary jokes). I'll consider all and any suggestions.

Thank you,

Midge

P.S. I know everyone hates these but I promise to get back to writing the story ASAP.


	20. Chapter 19

**Mkay, I'm back. Forgive me for the long delay. I had major writers block with this story. But thanks to the reviews from **jj82 **and **Jsct **I got my writing back! So thank you so much, guys, your ideas really helped this story and I send you much cyber love! Plus I was concentrating on my other story **Puck in a Pickle**. But I'm back! Promise!**

**Don't own Glee. Life's just not fair.**

**And extra note: Jesse never joined New Directions but he did go out with Rachel. **

**Enjoy my pretties and please review :-D**

* * *

"Hey Rach are you busy Friday night?" Finn asked as he sloped against the locker next to Rachel's.

"Yeah, I'm staying over at Noah's." She answered, closing her locker slowly. Finn blushed.

"Staying over?"

"Yes, Finn. Staying over. Problem?" Rachel said suddenly. She didn't even know why Finn was talking to her. She'd made it very obvious to him that she was not interested.

"No, no, of course. I just needed some English tutoring, I'm failing. I wondered if you could help y'know. Could we do it another night?" That wasn't exactly the whole truth. Finn was getting a C, just, in English and his mom had said that that was a good enough grade. Rachel did always have a soft spot for helping others. She shuffled the books in her arms. Finn knew he was winning her over. Engage cute and lovable smile…

"I can do Wednesday." She said after a delayed pause.

"Wednesday at mine." Finn replied, pleased with himself.

"No, come to mine. I have a lot of study aids at home." Finn had heard all about the study aids from Puck. Was life really that good?

"Cool, see you then." He pulled the straps of his backpack up and walked off.

* * *

"Hey, Noah." Rachel said in sultry tone. She was loitering outside the boys' locker room, waiting for Puck after practise. He came out, still sweaty yet strangely alluring.

"Hey." He plunged himself into a passionate kiss with her against the wall.

"You excited about Friday?" Puck asked, crooking an eyebrow. Rachel blushed and nodded.

"Will your mom be home?" She played with the collar on his polo shirt. Puck placed his hands on her hips and strutted a little closer to her.

"No. And my sister's at a sleepover." He pecked her on the lips softly. "So it'll just be us." Rachel giggled immaturely. He loved the way he could still make her swoon like the schoolgirl she really was. He found her adorable. Puck brushed his nose against hers.

"Just us."

* * *

Quinn deliberated whether she should she get Oreos or chips. She felt a tall figure standing behind her. It weirded her out. She didn't want some stranger stalking her in 7-11. It was odd.

"I'd pick Oreos. They go perfect with milk." The deep voice echoed. Quinn turned round sharply to have a go at the looming shape but was shock at how deeply… appealing and attractive the man was. He didn't look much older than her. She was awestruck by his overwhelming handsomeness. His hair was deep brown, tousled in easy curls. He had a cheeky smirk on his face, similar to Puck's but not as dirty as his was.

"I'm Jesse." He said, holding out a hand to shake Quinn's. Quinn juggled the packets in her arms before he took a few to ease her awkwardness. She recognised him from somewhere but she couldn't pinpoint where.

"Quinn." She replied, rather more breathily than she expected. He gave a little chortle. Quinn felt so relax.

"So, what'll be? Chips or Oreos? I've given you my opinion." Jesse smiled.

"Oreos." She replied, shoving a packet of chips on the shelf.

"Good choice." They walked side by side to the queue. They were both silently checking each other out. Quinn couldn't help by notice his not overly muscular but still definitely strong arms and how toned his abdomen was beneath his plain grey tee-shirt was.

"I saw you at sectionals. You're in McKinley's glee club, right?" Quinn nodded.

"I'm the lead in Vocal Adrenalin. Well, I was. I quit. It was all too showbiz-y for my liking. There was too much pressure, y'know?" He handed the cashier some money, Quinn only suddenly snapping into reality and realising that he was paying for her snacks. Quinn definitely remembered him in vocal adrenalin. He went out with Rachel. She wouldn't mind, would she? Mind you, he had chucked eggs at her. Wait, why was she thinking of dating this guy already?

"Oh you don't have too." She assured him, touching his arm subtly. Yep, definitely strong.

"It's ok. They didn't have what I wanted, might as well pay for this beautiful girl's food." He gave her a little wink, Quinn gleamed.

"That was very chivalrous of you, but I don't need your charity." She took the Oreos from him and made her way back to her car. Jesse followed her. He was sweet, if not slightly weird.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Jesse?" She said, opening her car door.

"As a matter of fact, yes, you can. Come out with me, Thursday night. Pick you up at 7?" Quinn didn't know what to say. She was in love with Finn, right? But he was in love with Rachel. But Rachel was in love with Puck. And there was no breaking them up, they were inseparable. And this Jesse kid was her best friend's ex. Surely that's a no go area. Plus, she barely new this guy. But then again, what was there to lose? She wouldn't have to live with seeing him everyday at school if it went wrong.

"Ok." She smiled. Quinn quickly wrote her address down along with her mobile number and gave it to him.

"I'll see you Thursday then, Quinn."

"Thursday it is, Jesse."

* * *

Quinn couldn't contain her excitement; she rushed into school the next day and pretty much pinned Rachel up against the lockers.

"I have a date with this boy called Jesse Thursday night and I need your help on picking clothes. Oh, he's gorgeousness defined."

"Jesse as in my ex-boyfriend? I thought you liked Finn." Rachel asked.

"Yeah, I did. I mean, I sort of do, but seriously, Jesse, is so, so, _so _hot it's kind of unreal. And yeah, you're ex. You don't mind do you?" Quinn gushed.

"No, no, I don't care. I just don't want you getting hurt that's all. I'm helping Finn with his English tonight; I'll come over before your date, promise. Oh and I have news." Rachel giggled at the last part.

* * *

Finn arrived 15 minutes early to Rachel's house. He was all dressed up. His mom had asked whether he was going on a date and his shrugged and then agreed. It was totally a date. They were studying together. That totally meant a date. In Finn's eyes it did anyway.

Rachel had set out the kitchen table with all sorts of coloured paper, pens, textbooks, all sorts. She hadn't dressed up in the slightest. She'd left her sweats on from after dancing and hadn't even put a touch of make up on. It was only Finn.

Finn knocked on the door nervously. He was more worried about meeting up with her now than he was when he came her to pick up for their first date.

"Hey, Finn, come in." Rachel ushered him into the kitchen. It was the first time Finn had visited her new house. It was big. Real big.

* * *

Puck sat at home practising his guitar. His mom came in and watch her son strum the chords gently.

"No Rachel?" She questioned.

"Nah, she's at home. Studying I think. She didn't say. She had dancing after school so she's probably at home relaxing." Puck took the strap off and placed his guitar in the corner, leaning it against his barely used desk.

"Why don't you go see her? Be a good boyfriend and offer her a foot massage or something." His mom closed his door. His mom had some good ideas sometimes.

* * *

Rachel went over to the counters where she got out two glasses and filled them with orange juice. Finn slicked back his hair and got up pulled Rachel closer to him. Rachel immediately pushed him away.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm cuddling, babe." Finn span her round and brushed the hair out of her face.

"Finn! Get off of me! Now!" She kicked him away.

"Hey Rach! It's me!" Puck called as he opened the front door. It was hardly ever locked and he knew Rachel appreciated surprise visits. Puck walked into the kitchen. Finn took a side glance at Puck and Rachel went to say something to him. Instead she was cut off by Finn's smashing his lips against hers. Rachel's knee met Finn's crotch with an epic amount of force. He sank to floor in pain.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Puck roared, punching Finn square in the face.

"Noah! Stop!" Rachel pleaded; dragging her angry and violent boyfriend off of Finn's bleeding face.

"Why the fuck is he even here Rach? If you still fucking like him go out with him. Don't let me stand in the way of this weird fucked up study buddy thing you've got going on. Helping him the way you helped him are you? Making out with him every time he says one word right, were you?" Puck screamed.

"Noah! It's not like that! He needed help with his English! We've just been studying and he forced himself on me! I swear, I love you Noah-"

"Fucking love me whatever, Rach, you just get back to sleeping with that fucking son of bitch." Puck slammed the front door moodily. He growled in annoyance and kicked the nearest bush. He'd got himself so angry his eyes were stinging with tears. But maybe it wasn't anger that was doing that.


	21. Chapter 20

****

**Happy holidays! I'm sorry, again, for the delay. my laptop broke :'( but i got a new one for Christmas and i've really speedily rewritten the chapter . Hope you like :)**

**Review please? **

**I don't own Glee. I do own two tickets to glee live in June and a glee calendar. as well as an excessive amount of chocolate. **

* * *

"Rachel not in?" Puck's mom asked as her son stormed through the front door, only a few minutes after he'd left.

"She was busy." He grumbled. Yeah. Busy with Finn. He couldn't bare that thought. He was going back. Back to beat the crap out of him again.

"Noah? You only just got back! Where are you going now?" His mother asked with a sigh.

"Out."

"How detailed."

* * *

Rachel had literally kicked Finn out, screaming her head off, moments after Puck had left. He was such an idiot. What was he thinking? She had a boyfriend. A boyfriend who she loved and Finn had to go and ruin it. And it wasn't like the time Mercedes kissed Puck because Puck had never been in love with Mercedes. Rachel had been in love with Finn. But she wasn't any more and he obviously didn't understand that.

"Just tell me why you're still with that douche? Puckerman doesn't care for you like I do, Rach, he just wants to... wants to..." Finn yelled in Rachel's front yard.

"Wants to what, Finn?" Rachel shouted back.

"He just wants to fuck you! Why else do you think he's with you? He doesn't really love you. He's just saying that to get into your pants. I thought you were supposed to be smart." Finn scoffed. Rachel turned away back into her house. Finn knew nothing.

"Don't chat shit, Hudson." Puck said simply. Dick didn't know what he was talking about. He stood at the gate, his hands in his pockets, his eyes avoiding Rachel purposely.

"If I really just wanted to get into her pants, you really think I'd stick around for this long? We're talking months here, Hudson. If I wanted sex it would only take me a few days to pull a cougar."

"Oh that's great, Noah." Rachel mumbled.

"Babe, shut up and listen a sec. Cos I haven't got time for all this drama. Finn, fuck off and leave my girlfriend alone. If she wanted you, she could have you. I mean, geez, look at her, she could get anyone."

"But I only want you." Rachel whispered.

"Shh, woman! I'm talking!" Puck smirked.

"Look, Finn." He spat the boy's name. "You need to get over her. Go try your luck on someone else. Cos this girl is mine right now. Ok?" Finn just stood there. He shrugged moodily.

"Good. Now before I leave." Puck stalked over to where the tall, gangly quarterback stood and smashed his fist square into his face. Finn staggered backwards and fell onto the gravel driveway.

"That's for... well... take a guess, sunshine." Finn struggled to get up, wiped the blood from his nose and left accordingly. Puck nodded in Rachel's direction and turned to leave too.

"Noah? Why are you leaving?" Rachel pleaded.

"I need some time to think, that's all." He didn't even turn to look back at her.

"But are we still together?" She let out a little sob, hoping he's turn back instantly and take her in his arms again.

"Sure." That wasn't the answer either of them wanted.

* * *

Rachel spent the evening curled in a ball under her duvet. Her dads had rang and said they were going to be late home, again. She'd been obsessively checking her phone to see if Noah had tried to communicate with her, he hadn't. Finn had though, abusive text messages and then seconds after, ones saying how sorry he was. Rachel ignored them. She'd grown used to people saying crude and horrid things about her online and through her phone. She couldn't care less. She just wanted one message from Noah, saying anything.

* * *

"Are we staying this time? Or is one going to disappear in fifteen minutes yet again?" Puck's mom joked. Puck paid no attention to his mother. He rummaged under the kitchen sink to look for the first aid kit. Mrs Puckerman caught a glimpse at his knuckles.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Noah! What are you doing to yourself? Or others for that matter? I thought you'd stopped all that fight club nonsense." She snatched the antiseptic lotion out of his hands and proceeded to tend to his injuries.

"Finn kissed Rachel. She kneed him in the crotch."

"Well, I think we can go by that information that it was a pretty one-sided kiss." She cleaned the wounds carefully; Puck winced as she did so.

"Yeah but I'm still angry about it. I don't know why. Rachel's a pretty honest person and she said it was all Finn. It's not that I don't believe her, its I just I can't stand to think about them two."

"I take it these cuts are from punching Finn." She wrapped a clean bandage around his knuckles.

"Yeah, that's why I went back. He was still there when I left the first time and that thought bugged me so I went back and punched him again. We left at the same time." He explained.

"Did you talk to Rachel?"

"Yeah. She asked if we were still together."

"And what did you say?" Puck wiggled his fingers to see if his bandage was too tight.

"Sure."

"Sure? You said sure? Was that it? Noah, you idiot! You can't just say 'sure' you've probably damn near snapped that girl's heart in two! Please don't tell me you shrugged as you did it." Puck smirked as his mom went completely mental over the one word 'sure'. In answer to her question, he shrugged.

"You're an absolute asshole, Noah, and that girl deserves ten time better than you give her. Now I understand you're angry, but you're being selfish. You've beaten up the boy who kissed her, she's beaten up the boy who kissed her, you've grumbled home feeling sorry for yourself and let your mother tend to your 'aching bones' I think that's enough. 'Sure' is not a good enough answer, and by my guess you probably weren't even looking at her when you did it. You've been together, how long? Four months? And you're prepared to break it up because you're angry? Don't be a boy, Noah, and don't act like your father." Whoa. Puck was not expecting that. Maybe the first bit but geez his mom went to town ripping it into his incapability of managing a relationship.

"Fine I'll call her." He sighed.

"Good boy, tell her I said hi!"

* * *

Rachel was lying in misery, drifting into sleep. But then she'd wake up with a start every time she imagined Puck punching Finn. She'd given up checking her phone and come to the conclusion that Puck didn't really care anymore. Her depressive train of thought was disrupted by the shrill beeping from her cell.

"Hello?" She croaked, trying to make it not obvious that she'd been crying for an hour.

"Hi. Um, yeah. I'm sorry I like said sure or whatever. I'm not saying sorry for punching Finn. Err; I'm sorry I swore at you too. Or near you. Or like, yeah, well, you get it. I'm still kinda angry but I get that you didn't kiss him. Um, I think we should like cool off and maybe cancel Friday but can you still, be my girlfriend and all that?" Noah jabbered, slapping his hand against his forehead as e realised just how ridiculous he sounded.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Finn coming over. I should've known he was going to try it on. I don't think we should do Friday either. But I still love you Noah." Rachel replied nervously, hoping Puck wouldn't respond by saying 'sure'.

"Cool. I still love you. I really fucking, sorry, I really hate Finn. Kid's a douche. I went him to feel intense misery."

"Well, then we shouldn't pander to what he wants and instead we should carry on how we were. Because the best way to make him feel like crap is to make feel like he's lost. Him kissing me has got him nowhere."

"Right. Cool." There was silence on both ends of the line.

"Oh yeah, my mom says hi."

* * *

Rachel smiled to herself, clutching her phone to her chest and gleaming with happiness at the fact Puck was well and truly hers. Her phone beeped again.

"We just spoke for like an hour, Noah, what more is there left to say?" Rachel cooed.

"What? Rachel, it's Quinn. Don't try and have phone sex with me." Rachel blushed even though Quinn wasn't there and the fact that Quinn had even suggested that her and Puck were having phone sex. They were doing nothing of the sort.

"We weren't having phone sex, Quinn. We were just talking. What do you want, its late, and I'm tired."

"Do you think I should wear my whorey underwear tomorrow? For the date with Jesse."

" Why do you even have whorey underwear? And why are you even thinking about what you're wearing 'down there' when its only a first date."

"I'm like a boy scout. Always be prepared."

"If only you'd had that motto when you were losing your virginity."

"Hey! That was cruel!" Quinn laughed.

"Mm but also true. I have to tell you about this evening's antics."

"Wait, whorey underpants or just normal."

"I don't know, I don't really want to be thinking about you in your underwear. Just go with normal."

"Fine, I've laid out my cow print ones."

"I worry about you." Rachel mumbled.

"Good, it means you're a real friend."

* * *

**Hope you all had fun this holiday season. God bless x**


	22. Chapter 21

**Oh and she's back! Yahuh, guys, i'm back on a roll! The Crimboly (for those who have yet to hear such a wonderous term, Crimboly = Crimbo = Christmas) holidays have given me time to waste away writing stories. **

**Ahh, i don't own Glee. Though my glee jimjams are comfy womfy :) **

**Reviews? Please? I got some for the last chapter and i literally wooped for joy! I reply to each of them (unless you've disabled the private message thing, and then i shall thank you on here: Gleekgenica, if you're reading: I love you. Your reviews made me smile so much.) So just think you'll be getting a little witty reply from your truly! **

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**Enjoy m'lovers!**

* * *

Quinn waited anxiously outside Breadsticks. She was ridiculously nervous. Rachel had come over after school and helped her get ready, both whorey underpants and cow print underpants had been rejected and Quinn had instead gone for her spaceman ones. She wanted everything to go smoothly.

* * *

Things between Puck and Rachel were a bit awkward. It was almost as if they were starting all over again. But it was nice, like a fresh start for both of them. Rachel couldn't be bothered to go home after Quinn's as she knew her dads would only ring and say they were going to be late. She hated that they were businessmen sometimes, sure the money was lovely, but she barely got to see them. She went round Puck's instead.

"Rachel!" Mrs Puckerman beamed, grabbing the girl and squeezing her into a hug.

"Hello, Mrs Puckerman." Rachel wheezed back she felt her ribs crush into her lungs.

"How lovely to see you! You're staying for dinner, actually I'm going out with the girls from work and Becky's next-door so it'll just be you and Noah but, anyway, lovely to see you! Remind him to collect Becky later. Noah's in the front room. Go in and see him." She added the whole awkward mom wink. Rachel gave a cheesy smile back and a nauseously sweet laugh. Puck was watching wrestling; he looked completely bored by the flavourless TV.

"Yo, Rach. I wasn't expecting you here. I thought you went to Quinn's." He stared blankly at the screen, lifting his arm lazily as if for a wave.

"I did, but I didn't want to go home just yet as my dads aren't back. Is that ok? Your mom just asked me to dinner." She lifted his feet up, sat down and placed them on her lap.

"That's cool. I wanted to talk to you about something anyway." He grabbed her hand and held it tightly. "Come on." He guided her up towards his bedroom.

* * *

"You made it." Jesse said huskily. Quinn giggled foolishly.

"Of course." She replied after she inwardly beat herself up about the giggle.

"Well, we don't want to wait out here all night. It's getting chilly." He smiled cheekily and lifted his shoulders up to his ears. Quinn linked her arm into his.

"Table reservation for two. Under the name St. James." He gave the waitress a smirk and she guided them to a secluded table in the corner of the bustling restaurant.

"This is lovely, Jesse." Quinn gushed. She'd been here with Finn ages ago. He hadn't booked a table and they had to wait for ages, she'd gotten restless and he'd gotten bored.

"Well, only the best for the best." Quinn's mom was going to love this boy.

* * *

"This is a good snuggle." Rachel nuzzled her head against Puck's chest. They were lying on his bed, relaxing.

"Don't ruin it with talking." Puck mumbled.

"I'm not ruining it, I'm adding to it." Puck brushed her hair out of her face and sighed. He liked having his girl back. And just lying on his bed, with her napping on his chest was his ideal moment.

"Noah..."

"Rach, you're ruining it." He grumbled. Rachel shot up immediately. She flattened the tuft of hair that Puck had been playing with. Puck didn't move. He lay in the exact same position as he had before Rachel had detached herself.

"What did you drag me up here to talk about? I suspect it wasn't just for us to snooze on your bed."

"Oh yeah." Puck stretched, his white t-shirt lifting slightly. He rubbed his eyes slowly.

"You wanna come watch a movie over here tomorrow night? Instead of... well...you know whatever we already had planned." He eased himself up slowly.

"What did you think we'd planned for tomorrow then?" Rachel said shyly. She turned her back to him, her legs dangling off the bed, just enough so her toes brushed the bare floorboards. Puck's room was his decoration choice. His floor left bare apart from a damp, stained rug, and a mixture of clean and dirty clothing. The walls were plastered with football posters, photographs and leaflets, covering the original blue wallpaper completely on one wall.

"I guess we were going to do whatever you were ready for." Puck inched himself closer to her.

"Shame we won't be doing it then." Rachel sighed. Puck shrugged.

"We could do it now instead if you like. Seen as we're both busy watching films tomorrow."

* * *

Quinn had been shuffling in her seat, desperate for the bathroom. She couldn't get a word in edgeways with Jesse. He was one of those people who were lovely to look at, quite the charmer at the start, but after awhile, geez, she wanted to punch him. She could fathom the thought of Rachel spending time with him for more than a few minutes. Since sitting there she'd spent most her wasted time, people watching. There was a family of four, two boys and then the parents. The boys were constantly chucking things at each other, their mother was getting more and more livid as the night when on. The father kept swatting their hands every time they went to pick up a tomato or a piece of lettuce. The waitress who had served Jesse and Quinn was also looking over at them; she was pretty close to going over there and saying something herself. The cleaner had been past them in the past fifteen minutes four times, trying to clear the discarded food debris.

"I'm going the bathroom." He gave her a disapproving look for interrupting her but then balanced it out with a seductive smile. Quinn wasn't going to fall for that, this was the worse date she'd ever been on. Jesse fancied himself more than he fancied her. And Quinn realised what a complete douche he'd been to Rachel. She was such an idiot to even contemplate going on this date.

She smoothed down the back of her dress and scurried her way towards the ladies bathroom. She averted her gaze away from Jesse and the food chucking family. She didn't want to pay them any more attention, fuelling the boys' misbehaviour. Instead, Quinn looked directly at the door to the bathroom and walked straight forward.

That was until she slipped on a rogue piece of lettuce and fell flat on her face. Her pink chiffon dress flapped wildly and landed, skirt right up around her shoulders, her spaceman underpants on full show.

"Look, Mom! That girl's panties' have got moons and stars on them!" One of the fair haired boys roared with laughter. Quinn quickly got up from the filthy floor, panicking as too how many people had seen her splat on the floor. The tore away the piece of soggy lettuce from the heel of her shoe, flattened her hair and proceeded to make her way to the bathroom with a smile of embarrassment plastering her face.

"It's one small step for everyone else, one giant slipover for Quinn Fabray!" She heard someone call out. She turned her head slightly to see it was Jesse, making a spectacle of himself. He always wanted to crowd on him.

Quinn quickly dialled Rachel's phone number. No answer. She tried again. Still no answer. She tried three more times before calling Puck's number. No answer from him. No answer from either of them. She tried both of their home number at least four times and still no answer. She knew they were both in. She gave up on Puckleberry and instead dialled for Santana.

"Wassup?"

"San, I just slipped over in Breadsticks on a date in front of everyone including two rabid children who felt it was necessary to tell the whole fricking restaurant that my underpants had an outer space theme!" Quinn heard the familiar squawk of laughter from the end of the line.

"SANTANA!" She whispered angrily, hoping that the other woman in the cubicle couldn't hear her.

"Sorry, that's just too funny. Erm, what do you want me to do? Oh god, I wish I'd been there."

"Come give us a ride home. The date's a fail anyway, I just don't wanna be seen here by anyone I know."

"Alright, Apollo Pants, I'll be there in a sec."

"Santana, that is not funny!"

"Sound pretty darn hysterical this end."

* * *

Quinn finished divulging the story to the other glee girls the following day. They were all ripping up with laughter. Tina practically hyperventilated and had to go and sit down in the next room.

"It's not funny! It was so humiliating! And worst of all, thanks to Santana over here, I now have adopted the unfortunate nickname of Apollo Pants! You're all horrible and I hate you all. Especially Rachel." She crossed her arms across her chest and pouted.

"Why do you hate me? I didn't call you Apollo Pants. Though I think I might start. And your name in my phone is not longer Quinn, it's Apollo Pants. But still, I didn't do anything."

"Exactly. You didn't answer your phone. Why was that, Rachel Berry? Huh? Huh?" Quinn jabbed Rachel in the arm.

"I was busy." Rachel blushed.

"I know that look. That's not an 'I was busy cleaning my room' look, that's an almost definite 'I was busy... with my boyfriend look' Now spill woman." Santana demanded. They were sitting in the choir room, on the floor, cross-legged, a box of carrot sticks neatly placed in the centre of the circle (it was Rachel's choice snack day, needless to say it was health food, shunned by everyone)

"No." She said plainly.

"You can't give us the look and then not tell us what went on. That's like denying a child candy at a birthday party." Tina said rightly.

"Or cake." Brittany offered.

"Yeah, or cake." Santana agreed.

"Well, it's private. And I for one am not going to tell you, and if I know Noah, like I do, I suspect he won't either."

**I'm ashamed to say: Quinn's part was based on true life events. It was just the average Maths lesson. Moral of the story? Don't wear kooky underwear. And if you do, wear trousers. Well, awkwardly, that's what my maths teacher told me to do. midge1995 is the original 'Apollo Pants' D:**


	23. Chapter 22

**How's it hanging? **

**Anyway bludz, i like totally had to go back to school this week. Eurgh. Actually i quite like school. occasionally. I could write 'updates are going to be a little slower' buttttt i'll just let you decided if you think they're slow or not bearing in mind i should be doing homework. I'm one of those people who manage to get away with not doing homework and still get high grades and no detentions. Some would say 'Suck-up' or 'Teacher's-Pet' but i much prefer 'hyponotised by my natural charisma and talent' **

**REVIEW! Sorry i shouted, but please, yeah?**

**Don't own, babies. If i hadn't put a commer there that would've been a whole new sentence ;)**

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"THIRD BASE, MY FRIENDS!" Puck roared, flinging his arms in the air triumphantly. Mike Chang went over and gave him a high five of congratulations.

"Well done, Puckerman, only taken you four months. When you gunna have sex with her? Four years?" Karofsky jeered. Puck pushed him with enough force for him to back off, but not enough for him to want to start a fight.

"Oh but don't tell Rachel I said anything to you guys, she'll go nuts and I just can't deal with any more Berry crazy this week." The others nodded in agreement and continued to get change for practise. Apart from Karofsky, who left with his sidekick and the rest of the hockey team. Finn shook off his t-shirt, how he hated Friday practise and hearing about how the guy he hates is practically banging the girl he loves.

* * *

"Now, Quinn, apart from your disastrous interruption with a lettuce leaf, how was your date with Jesse?" Rachel said, trying to get the conversation off of what she and Puck had engaged in the night before and instead to her best friend.

"I don't like him. He's annoying, big-headed, he talks too much, he thinks he's the best at everything, won't let you speak, ever, and he always once everything to be on him."

"Stop describing Rachel, and talk about Jesse." Santana mocked, crunching her way through a carrot.

"Oh, ha-ha, Santana." Rachel said sarcastically.

"It's not going to work out. There won't be a second date. I left after speaking to you on the phone, I didn't even say goodbye. He's been texting me and trying to call but it's not happening. Oh hey, Rachel, remember when I tried to call you but you were busy with your boyfriend? What were you doing again?" Quinn laughed, switching the subject back to Rachel, making her friend groan and roll her eyes.

"Can we drop it? Why do I need to broadcast it? What happened, happened. And it was very romantic and that's all you need to know. Ok?" Rachel sighed.

"I say he touched her up." Tina said suddenly. The girls or howled with laughter. Rachel blushed furiously and went to storm out.

"Oh, calm down, Rach! We're only joking with you!"

"I don't care! It's not funny anymore! Why pick on me when Quinn's the one who flashed her underwear in a public place!" She huffed, slamming the choir room door as she left. The girls scoffed at their friend's bravado. Well, someone had to make friends with the crazy one.

* * *

Quinn's new plan was to not care and give up on boys. She couldn't come to any other conclusion. She ruled out Puck (For obvious best friend boyfriend reasons), Finn (for being a complete tool) and recently Jesse (for also being a complete tool). No one in Glee appealed to her. No one outside of glee appealed to her. She was screwed. Or more, she was unscrewed and she didn't particularly like it. She knew she shouldn't be desperate for a boyfriend but it's always nice to have one. To have someone there like Rachel did. She was still intrigued as to what went on between Rachel and Puck. She was going to find out. It's what best friends' do, poke around in their friends' life.

"Quinny, I forgot to ask, how was your date?" Quinn's mother asked, poking her head round the door.

"Oh it was ok, but it won't go any further." Quinn sighed, moving her finger around the mouse pad on her laptop.

"Don't worry darling, I'm sure you'll meet someone nice soon. How's Rachel? She still with that Noah boy?"

"Yeah, they're still together. Getting pretty serious from what I can pick up on."

"Well, you just tell her to stay safe. That boy has super sperm." She closed the door shut and Quinn let out a suppressed chuckle.

* * *

"Noah..." Rachel whined cutely. It was her usually 'Noah' whine. The one where Puck knew he was going to be asked something.

"Yes." He said, threading his fingers through hers so she was facing him. She went up onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on the end of his nose.

"You didn't tell anyone about... y'know. Did you?" Her liquid eyes stared straight at his, locking with them, making tiny beads of nervous perspiration form under Puck's collar. This girl, could make him crap himself with that look.

"I told a few of the guys at practise. Don't sweat it babe, they're not gunna tell and even if they did why would it matter?" Rachel dropped his hands and hardened her glare.

"Why would it matter? WHY would it matter? WHY?"

"Babe, calm down! It was just a few of the guys, I bet you told your girlfriends."

"No I didn't!" Rachel stomped her foot angrily. This Puckerman residence movie theatre was not going well.

"You didn't? Why not?" Puck was shocked. He swore girls tell each other everything.

"Because I didn't want to. It didn't feel right to tell everyone. It was nice and it was our thing, a thing between us. It's nice to keep some things sacred. It's fine." Rachel shrugged then slumped onto one of the kitchen chairs. Puck blew out a slow release of air and leaned back against the counters.

"Can I cuddle you? You look really sad. I do feel bad about it now. Guys don't think things through like that." The silence stayed.

"Can I cuddle you now?" Puck asked. Rachel got up and squished herself into Puck's arms.

"Yeah, we can cuddle now."

* * *

Puck didn't plan to get up until midday. His Saturday mornings consisted of sleep and not a lot else. He'd promised to take Becky to the park later with her friend from school. He was putting that off for as long as possible. He couldn't be bothered but Becky had been moaning about Puck spending more time with Rachel and less time with her. Puck didn't care for her stupid jealousy, they barely hung out before. But suddenly, with Rachel in the equation Becky wanted her big brother to spend real time with her.

He rolled over in his sheets, musing over the fact he didn't have to get up. It was glorious. School wears it out of you, a weekend full of sleep, eating crap and relaxing is just what he needed. No interruptions, no nothing.

But now. His cell jingled and vibrated violently on his nightstand. He should've learnt by now that he should turn it off whilst he slept. No one needed to talk to him that badly.

He ignored it, settling himself back into a dull, useless snooze. His cell was relentless, it just would not stop.

"WHAT?" He growled down the receiver.

"Noah! I thought you'd died! I think you we should meet up." It was Rachel. Who else at ten on a Saturday morning? Normal people were still in bed.

"I can't, I'm taking my sister and her friend to the park." He huffed. He really didn't want to speak to anyone.

"Can I come?" Puck sighed. He knew that was coming. The thing was, if he said yes, Rachel would spend the next hour fixing up an elaborate picnic (he didn't care too much about that, he loved Rachel's food), thinking of games for them all to play, arriving much earlier than he wanted and leaving much later. And he wouldn't even get to make out with her. And Becky would moan about ruining the sibling time. Oh well, she'd get over it.

"I'll ask Becky." He crawled himself up so he was sitting straight. He leaned out of his bed and opened the door. He screamed his sister's name and awaited for her reply. Becky wasn't happy but she agreed anyway. She liked Rachel but she was ALWAYS around. She always overheard their conversations too though.

"Yeah you can come." Puck said to Rachel after having a briefly worded conversation with Becky.

"Fantastic! I'll be over in an hour with humus and everything! Oh, the choices of cordial! Noah, this is going to be so much fun! I can just tell!"

"Yay, I do love humus and cordial." He didn't even know what either of those things were.

* * *

The park wasn't so bad. Rachel loved playing mother hen, she enjoyed playing games with the two smaller girls and laying out all the picnic food. Puck just sat there unless instructed otherwise. Turns out he didn't like humus and cordial was just juice.

"Are you and Rachel going to get married?" Becky announced randomly as she tucked into a cake Rachel had handed her.

"Shut up, Becky." Puck insisted. Becky and her friend Lucy giggled. Rachel blushed and pretended to ignore them.

"Are you going to have babies?" Lucy whispered (somewhat loudly, which defied the point of whispering) to Becky. They bother laughed. Puck could see Rachel's mind going into overload.

"No, they don't even have sex!" Becky laughed. Rachel dropped everything in her hands and started talking to herself. Puck kicked his sister.

"Ow! That hurt!"

"Then maybe you should SHUT UP and stop showing off!"

"I'm not showing off! I'm just telling the truth! You talk about it all the time! I'm nearly 11, I know what it is! And I know that you have done it before because that's how you make babies and Quinn had a baby and everyone was saying it was yours!" She told him. Puck was pretty angry but he knew he couldn't go mental at his sister in a public place whilst her friend and his girlfriend were there. Puck didn't say anything and just took another bite of some more food. Rachel just say, trying to mop up an invisible juice spill.

"Rachel's a verrrrgink." Becky smiled, trying to embarrass the couple further. Rachel had to look away from Puck to stop herself from laughing. Puck tried to do the same. They took one glance at each other and exploded into laughter.

"It's virgin, Becky, not vergink." Awh, sweet innocent preteens with their mispronunciation of cute simple little things. And virgins.


	24. Chapter 23

**Ok, so sorry for not updating in bare long bludz but i have been way busy. I'd like to say i'm not going to bore you with excuses, but i am. I have so many exams and so much revision to do! Two and a bit months and i'm outta there! I actually like school i just hate all these exams. Why did i take so many fricking subjects? Why did i also sign up to the school play? One thing i am glad about is that school pictures are done and dusted! **

**the final year of school = the most stressful. **

**Plus i got distracted and wrote my most proud puckleberry two shot ever.**

**This chapter took ages to do and feels like a filler, but review, give me ideas, and tell me what you think. I want this story to end pretty soon because i'm getting to the point where you guys are enjoying it more than i am!**

**So I'm still not owning Glee. Nor am i own the glorious song used in this lil snippet of story. Nevermind, you still love me right?**

**Enjoy beautiful people all over the world!**

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"Exciting news, guys! Principal Figgins has given us the go ahead to choreograph a piece in the school concert!" Mr Shue announced the uninterested gaggle of teens.

"Since when has there ever been a school concert?" Puck grunted.

"Well, since the creative programmes have been given more money, the principal decided that he would like to see these achievements and organised for us all to band together and put together a concert. It'll be a great warm up for nationals."

"So... who else will be in this 'concert'?" Mercedes asked wearily. Mr Shuster seemed to be singing and dancing around the point, only not literally.

"There'll be a few kids from the drama club. And I think dance group are putting in a few pieces. They'll it'll be us and possibly a presentation from the computer club. " He mumbled quietly.

There was silence in the small choir room. It was bad enough having to perform their numbers in front of the school in assemblies. Now they had to do it in front of nerds and theatre crazies. They were going to be mocked by nerds and theatre crazies. Nerds. And theatre crazies.

"Come on, guys! I had to fight Coach Sylvester for this!"

"I for one, Mr Schuster, am thrilled with the idea. I think it'll be fabulous and a great opportunity for all of us. It will give us a chance to bond together as a team and a united team is a strong one..."

"Shut up, Rachel." Rachel scowled then huffed before stomping over to an empty chair.

"No, Rachel was getting to a good point. It'll be a brilliant rehearsal. Come on, it won't be that bad. The dance group are... ok... they're different-"

"Too retarded to get on the cheerio squad more like." Puck scoffed.

"Noah! Don't use that word, its rude and offensive." Rachel batted his arm.

"And the presentation from the computer club will be educational! It might even be good, learning new things! We've got to support the diversity of the school. I thought you would be more grateful for my efforts. I can cancel. But it'll be a waste of an audience." Classic guilt ridden speech performed wondrously by William Shuster. Rachel smiled. The word 'audience' made all her senses come alive. She thrived to perform. And she was sure as she was going to get every single member of glee joining in.

"I'm in!"

"I like it when we sing." Brittany said randomly.

* * *

"Rach..." Quinn muttered. They were in the middle of an English exam. Rachel was working away hard even though it was only a mock which everyone knew meant fake pointless test that you only try on the first questions. Rachel ignored her.

"Rachel!" She said a little more harshly.

"Rachel Berry!" She repeated, louder. The teacher raised her nose over the book she was reading.

"Silence, please, girls." Quinn apologised. She ripped a page out of the centre of the book and scribbled down a few words.

_Are you cereal about this stupid concert thing?_

_Quinn x_

_P.S. this is a mock. Why are you trying?_

Quinn slid the note along the desk and got back to pretending to do her test. She tapped the end of her pen and sighed. She could see Rachel reading the note in the corner of her eye.

_What does 'are you cereal' even mean? I'm very excited about participating in the school concert. It's another time to shine, Quinn, we should all relish in this opportunity. _

_And I'm trying on this test because one must learn from their mistakes. If I ace this test then I have no mistakes and then would succeed in becoming perfect. Plus English is a very important subject for all hopeful thespians. _

_Rachel x_

Quinn screwed up the note and shoved in the pocket of her bag. Rachel never had helpful advice for anyone who wasn't called Rachel Berry. Didn't stop her offering her useless advice though. Quinn doodled on her test paper. She honestly couldn't care what this poet meant by his jibber. He clearly was just a manic depressive who felt like chronicling his feelings on paper. Much like a teenage girls' diary. She sighed and wrote Rachel another note.

_Whatever. Can you come over tonight? I'm bored of being left on my lonesome._

_Q x_

Rachel let out an annoyed groan. She was trying to concentrate and Quinn's notes weren't helping.

_No, sorry, date night with Noah. I'll come over at the weekend. We can think of numbers for glee club! It'll be way fun, I'll bring my old keyboard and some sheet music and we can get cracking!_

_Rachel :P xxx_

Sounded like hell on earth for Quinn this weekend.

* * *

The glee club was split. Some of the group wanted to do the concert (Mercedes (only if she got a solo) Kurt (only if he got a solo) Rachel (Only if she got at least two solos) and Artie and Tina) and the others couldn't think of anything worse. And Mr Shue's ideas for numbers were just making matters worse.

"The Bee Gees? No, Mr Shuster, we are not singing anything by the Bee Gees." Puck said defiantly.

"Why are you being such an ass, Puck?" Finn yelled. The others nodded in agreement. He really did not want to be part of this stupid concert and he'd made sure everyone knew it.

"Right. That's it. I'm gone." Puck grabbed his bag and stalked off out of the choir room.

"I don't think he'll be coming back anytime soon. Let's just go with one of our old numbers." Mercedes sighed. Quinn almost wanted to clap him for leaving.

"No, we need to spruce things up. Think of something totally different. Does anyone have anything against Achy Breaky Heart?"

* * *

"Seriously, it was awful. Mr Shue was just spewing crap about how we need to be more individual. Going to be honest, it was worth you leaving, I'd usually be annoyed at you and all but my god! He made us do throat warm ups and then he got us doing these strange dance moves." Rachel shoved another handful of fries in her mouth. She was sitting in the tailgate of Puck's truck; a mass of fast food lay out in front of them

"Hungry?" He chuckled; she looked like she hadn't been fed in about four years. Rachel nodded, grabbing even more food. She was wrapped in her giant pink ski jacket. Puck had planned a little star gazing date for them. He'd bought his guitar, tonnes of food and three blankets to keep them entertained.

"I love you, you know that?" Rachel smiled, whipping the grease away from around her mouth and leaning over to kiss him.

"Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't have guessed but you spend like so much time with me and you keep telling me so I thought, well, y'know, better return the favour otherwise she'll be pissed." He grabbed her little frozen hand a squeezed it tight between his two.

"Is that why you love me? Because we hang out and I tell you I love you?"

"No, I love you because you're everything to me. My life without you babe would be completely empty."

"Awh, good job I'm here then to keep your life nice and full then." She knocked herself against his broad shoulder. He gently pecked the top of her head.

They sunk down lower and lower underneath the blankets over time, Puck dropping soft kisses on Rachel's lips as the night went out. They turned on their sides, lying down, so they were facing each other. Puck's hand was resting gently on Rachel's thigh. They'd curled up one of the blankets and were using it as a joint pillow, making their faces practically touch at the squash. They were just laying there, a comfortable silence and sweet almost staring competition the amount they were looking into each others' eyes. Puck shuffled in closer, moving his hand up so it was resting on her buttock. Rachel let out a feverish giggle.

"What?" Puck laughed, he pulled her in closer. Rachel's innocent sniggers died down and she sighed.

"Kiss me, please, Mr Puckerman." Her smile was the cutest thing Puck had ever seen. She was adorable. He leaned in slowly, his cold lips meeting with her soft plump ones. Rachel felt herself dissolve into him. She rolled onto her back, feeling devilishly excited by having his weight on top of her. Her small hands ran up the back of his head to his ear, stroking it gently with her warm fingertips. Puck broke away and propped himself up on his elbows, his nose still brushing hers.

"I've got a surprise for you." He whispered, heaving himself up reluctantly. The cool night air hit a small slither of Rachel's stomach suddenly. She didn't care how late it was. She didn't care if she was out here all night. She was having the best time of her life.

Puck picked up his guitar and put the strap over his body. The moon was bright, defining all his handsome features perfectly. He started strumming the chords effortlessly. So he wasn't a Californian surfer boy with blonde hair and a pool at home to die for? This song fitted how he felt and he was going to play it.

_Wouldn't it be nice if we were older  
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long  
And wouldn't it be nice to live together  
In the kind of world where we belong_

_You know it's gonna make it that much better_  
_When we can say goodnight and stay together_

_Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up_  
_In the morning when the day is new_  
_And after having spent the day together_  
_Hold each other close the whole night through_

_Happy times together we've been spending_  
_I wish that every kiss was never-ending_  
_Wouldn't it be nice_

_Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true_  
_Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do_  
_We could be married_  
_And then we'd be happy_

_Wouldn't it be nice_

_You know it seems the more we talk about it_  
_It only makes it worse to live without it_  
_But let's talk about it_  
_Wouldn't it be nice_

_Good night my baby_  
_Sleep tight my baby_

Rachel smiled shyly, pulling her knees up so they were under her chin.

"I love you, Noah."

"I love you too, Rach." Regardless of the guitar attached to his body or not, he awkwardly leant forward and kissed his girlfriend.


	25. Chapter 24

**Guten Tag! So erm, i'm sorry. I've hurt you because my updates are so scattered. I have, i know, but please. Forgive me. Please review, i mean i know i like the whole 'multiple of five' thing but i would much prefer that to be 100 rather than 95. I only got one review for my last chapter and i actually quite liked that chapter. Anyway, sorry for breaking your hearts. S breaking mine! D':**

**So Glee was pretty darn amazing last night. Though i really do think Mr Shue should stop moaning about the lack of funds. With that light show and that GIANT puddle on the stage, they have nothing to complain about. **

**Read and Review and you'll get some love in return. In the form of an inbox and another chapter :)**

**I don't own Glee. Still. **

* * *

Rachel waved goodbye to know in his truck, he drove off slowly, hoping not to make too much of a noise on the gravel. Rachel's shaky hand pushed her front door open as quiet as possible. She slid in the door, hoping that no one would hear. Her dads were in bed, she told herself.

They hadn't realised what time it was. After Puck's romantic serenade, they'd made out for almost an hour unknowingly. By the time they'd both got up and stepped out their little bubble of romance it was quickly bought to Rachel's attention that it was nearly 2 AM on a school night. If her dads found out she would be beyond screwed.

Closing the door quietly behind her, Rachel crept up the stairs silently. She'd made it to the top. Her dads would not notice.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN RACHEL BERRY?" She heard her dad roar from the bottom of the staircase. She turned round her heals steadily. Her daddy flicked the lights on.

"We just lost track of time, Dad, I'm sorry. I'm home now though, safe and sound, it doesn't matter." She gleamed hoping to win over the hearts of her clearly livid parents.

"Lost track of time? LOST TRACK OF TIME? THAT's your excuse? Do you not own a watch? Rachel, it is half past two and you have school tomorrow. Do you know how much worry you've caused us? We almost called the police! We rang Quinn and Mrs Puckerman and neither of them knew where you were! Did you even take your phone with you? No! Because it's right here in my hand!" Her dad made his way up the stairs; her Daddy following shortly, her pink phone was clasped in her dad's tight grip.

"I'm sorry! We were talking and..."

"Talking! Don't give me that, Rachel Berry, the red kissing rash all round your mouth gives away what you were up to!" Rachel's hand shot up over mouth. She hadn't thought about that. She didn't realise that people could see the pink smudges of lipstick that circled her lips.

"And... is that a hickey on your neck?" Rachel other hand flew up and slapped the purpling spot just underneath her jaw.

"I'm sorry." She said in a muffled tone behind her clammy with nerves palm.

"Right. That's it. I want you home as soon, _as soon_, as school finishes. There will be no school clubs this week. No glee club, no nothing. I will pick you up after school, and your daddy will drop you there on his way to work. This weekend you will not being going out, you will not being seeing Noah, you will not have access to your phone, your iPod or your laptop. You will clean every inch of this house until in shines and you will make sure that every single piece of homework you receive is thoroughly checked by either me, or your daddy. Understood?" His eyes were bulging with anger. Rachel nodded her head uncontrollably, still keeping her hands firmly in place.

"Now that we've got that cleared up, bed. NOW." She hurried off into her room and got ready for bed quickly.

She couldn't help feeling as her head hit the pillow the adrenaline rush through her whole body. Rachel Berry had stayed out after curfew and she hadn't gotten away with it. She'd never had more fun. But the punishment completely sucked. She was dead meat. A sly smile spread across her tired face. Rachel Berry was officially a badass.

* * *

"How ape shit did your dads go?" Puck asked nervously the next day as they walked hand in hand into school together.

"Fricking insane. I practically live in a prison. Oh, I don't have my phone, so don't text to call me. I don't have anything. They took like everything I own out of my room this morning and locked it all in the basement. I'm not allowed to go out until further notice. I'm not even allowed to go to glee club!" She moaned, yawning afterwards. She didn't realised how tired she was until her dads woke her up this morning.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'm in the dog house too. Your dads rang my mum and she went pretty crazy at me for not telling anyone where we were. I'm not really punished though. She just shouted at me loads and now I have to notify her everywhere I go." He wrapped his arm round her shoulders.

"Unrequited love, eh?" Rachel smiled.

"Ha, yeah, totally." Puck agreed.

"Oh and Noah, at what point exactly did you give me this?" She turned to him and pointed at the hickey on her neck. She'd tried her best to cover it up with concealer but it was still visible. Puck stifled a laughed. Rachel whacked him in the chest.

"I'm serious, Noah! It could scar!" She said with no humour at all. She was so overdramatic it was hilarious.

"Babe, it's not going to scar. And it's a mark to show you're my girl." Puck kissed her.

"You could've just given me your jacket or something! This thing is gross." She fluffed her hair a little so it covered it. She did not want to be like Finn and Quinn months ago. They'd given each other a hickey and adopted the nicknames 'Bella' and 'Edward' for obvious reasons. Puck stopped and turned to look at her. He leaned down and very gently brushed his lips on the purple bruise. He then trailed the kiss upwards and whispered in her ear.

"Kiss it better."

* * *

Rachel went into the desolate choir room at lunch. If she couldn't make the afterschool rehearsals, she wouldn't be able to be in the concert. It wasn't fair to make the whole glee club miss their lunchtimes just for her. Rachel was selfish but she didn't want this solo that badly. Plus she kind of liked having friends for once and wasn't going to ruin that with her demands. She walked across the room to Mr Shuester's office.

"Come in, Rachel." Mr Shue replied after Rachel stood uncomfortably outside.

"Mr Shue, I can't do the concert." She said nervously. Mr Shue glanced up from the papers on his desk with a disappointed look on his face.

"I know, your dads called me earlier. What were you thinking Rachel?" People were talking like Rachel had just gone out on a murder spree. So she'd stayed out a little late with her boyfriend. She was only 16; it was the usual thing to do.

"I was just having fun!"

"But at the price of glee club? You're a co-captain, Rachel; you can't just do things like that. You need to think of the team."

"And sometimes I need to think of myself! If I can't do things like this now, when can I do them? When I'm married? When I'm old and grey? No, I'm young, Mr Shue, and I'm supposed to be having the time of my life. Plus this concert's not going to be any good. All the others are moaning that I always get all the solos, well now I can't have any of them. Give them to Mercedes and Kurt. They deserve them just as much as I do. It was just fun, so excuse me, for having fun." Rachel was getting increasingly annoyed. She'd slipped up once and now everyone was complaining about it. It was once.

"I understand you were having 'fun' Rachel and we've all done it. But I think you've gone the wrong way about it. Puck is used to doing these sorts of things. You're not. It's not in your nature." Mr Shue put delicately. Rachel knew exactly what he meant.

"He's not a bad influence! I wish everyone would stop assuming that! He's not!" Rachel got up quickly and stormed out of the Spanish teacher's office.

* * *

Rachel's next delightful encounter was with her so-called best friend, Quinn.

"So you're not allowed out this weekend? Well done, Rachel, way to bail on your best friend for the fourth week in a row." The blonde grumbled, clicking the end of her pen fiercely. They were marking through their mock tests in English. Quinn had come out with a D. Rachel had been given an A+ and therefore and nothing left to do.

"I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you, I promise. Once my dads stop being idiots and let me do stuff, you can come over for a sleepover, we'll get some movies and ice cream and it'll be fun! Don't be angry with me, I've got enough people who are like that at me already." Rachel pleaded. She really didn't mean to hurt Quinn but she had kind of blanked her the last few weeks to be with Puck.

"Sorry, can't, I'm going to get hickeys off my imaginary boyfriend. Oh, and by the way, man hands, you can still see it underneath all that cover up." Both girls stopped and snapped at what Quinn had just said. Rachel rubbed her eyes in the vain hope that the tears wouldn't spill. Quinn put down her pen.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"Just shut up Quinn and stop being such a jealous bitch." Rachel then performed her second storm out of the day.

* * *

Rachel did not enjoy her day. Her dad picked her up right on time; he'd even taken a few days off of work just so he could monitor her. She'd missed out on glee and she knew now that they were going a number from 'Anything Goes' and was gutted that she couldn't be there to take lead vocals. Nope, instead she had to sit at home writing her parents an essay entitled 'Why you should not come home late on a school night'. Her dads told her that the punishment of not being allowed out was to go on for a while but the confiscated items would be returned as soon as she showed she was mature enough. Rachel expected she'd get them back by next Monday. She wasn't sure about being grounded. She expected that to go on for a while.

Puck wasn't exactly having a whale of a time either. Everyone was giving him a hard time over the whole 'why's Rachel not here' thing and he was fed up. And he missed her. If they weren't together they were texting or on the phone or talking on Facebook. Now he could only see her at school. He was a sucker for missing his girl. And even worse, Puck had to learn how to tap dance. That was just not kosher. Especially seen as he had to do it in a sailor suit. Not. Down. With. That.

Quinn was strangely distant from everyone too. She hadn't really spoken to any of them since walking in the room. She was ripping herself up inside over what she'd said. She really did not mean to say it. It just slipped out. Total Cady from Mean Girls word vomit. She couldn't even text Rachel an apology because she knew she didn't have her phone. She could make the effort to pop by on the way home but was it better to let things cool off? Oh why all the drama? Now she had no one to talk to English for the next... however long it would take Rachel to forgive her. Admittedly, Quinn was pissed that her best friend kept choosing her boyfriend over her but there was no need to reap up the past with the whole bullying thing. Every once in a while Quinn was going to have to face the fact that Rachel had a boyfriend now and he was more important for the moment. They were getting serious. Quinn just didn't want to lose a best friend over a boy. She did want any of that.

Kurt was the only ridiculously happy one. He was after that part of Reno Sweeney like a hunter to its prey. But he had Mercedes and Tina to compete with. And Tina could already tap dance. But he was glad Rachel couldn't attend. Sure, she was his friend but this was life and life meant competition.

"After much consideration, I think Tina should be the one to sing the lead in 'Anything Goes'." Mr Shue proclaimed, handing Tina some sheet music. She clapped to herself excitedly.

Ok, now even Kurt was pissed.


End file.
